Five On Sodor Island
by SteamArt
Summary: Is smuggling underway on the Island of Sodor? If so, who is in charge? The Famous Five, helped by the Sudrian railway engines, are determined to find the answers... Set on Railway Series (RWS) Sodor in the year 1967.
1. All Together Again

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas nor the Famous Five.

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CHAPTER ONE

_**All together again**_

'How much longer is this journey going to take?' said Dick, glancing at his watch for the fifth time in as many minutes. 'It seems to me that we've been placed on a train that takes us miles from anywhere and then stops off for a week.'

'Don't be silly,' said Julian, his older brother, giving him a friendly punch. 'It's just bad luck, that's all. I bet we'll be on our way in the hour.'

'Well, I just can't wait to see Anne and George again!' said Dick, gazing out of the window at the rolling fields and blue sky. 'It's sickening to think that they might be having a simply marvellous time, while we're stuck on a train in the middle of nowhere! I'm just so glad to think that we will soon be seeing them again!'

'And Timmy of course,' said Julian. 'We absolutely cannot forget _him_!'

As he spoke, there was a jerk and the train got underway once again. The two boys were on their way to the little seaside village of Kirrin where their cousin Georgina, or George as she insisted on being called, lived. They would be meeting up with her, her dog Timmy and Anne, their little sister, for their Easter holidays. Georgina's father was a scientist, and a brilliant one at that. He must have been growing quite famous because he had once appeared in a London newspaper as one of the most quietly-living scientists in the country.

A quarter of an hour later, Kirrin Station came into sight. Julian and Dick leapt up, yanked their luggage down from the rack and leaned out of the window for a first glimpse of the girls. Yes, there they were, waving and yelling to them! As the train drew to a halt, Julian fumbled with the door handle and he and Dick tumbled out onto the platform.

'Oh, Julian! It's marvellous to see you and Dick again!' cried Anne, hugging both her brothers, whilst Timmy leapt up and tried to lick all three faces, wild with delight. George thumped both boys on the back, thrilled that she had male company at last. George hated being a girl and tried her hardest to be a boy. Her short dark curly hair and freckled face helped greatly, as did her refusal to answer to her real name.

'Mother's helping Joanna prepare dinner, so we came down alone,' said George when Julian asked where their aunt was. 'Come on, let's get home. She's going to be thrilled to see you two again!'

The five of them left the station for the concourse where George's pony and trap was waiting. They all scrambled on board and George grabbed the reins. As they rattled down the country lane towards Kirrin Cottage, the Five thought about how good it was for them all to be together once more.

'How's Father?' Dick asked Anne.

'He's still feeling bad,' said Anne glumly. 'Mother says he should be completely better by the end of the month, but he's still not fit to have us home for the hols.'

'I suppose it was only to be expected,' said Julian. 'Mother caught scarlet fever a few years ago, and Father was put into quarantine for it. Now it's the other way round, with Father the one who has the disease. It's just too bad that it should happen now, in the last week of term.'

As they rode along the winding country lane, the children could catch glimpses of Kirrin Island between the trees and hills. There it was, large as life, with its gloriously ruined castle standing proudly on its crest. Oh, how splendid it looked in the springtime! What glorious adventures it might hold in store for them! And oh, how the children wished they could return there someday!

All too soon, Kirrin Cottage appeared ahead. The passengers scrambled out of the trap and Julian hauled down the cases. Then they trooped in single file up the garden path, George in the lead and Timmy capering happily around their legs. As they neared the front door, they could hear voices coming from inside the house. They all stopped and listened. Yes, it sounded like George's father and Joanna the cook. The voices were coming through the open window of the study.

'I cannot work in peace like this anymore, Joanna! And I'm not sure I can handle the children in the house at the same time! I'm sorry, but there it is! This new project has reached its final stage and, if it's to be done by the end of the month, I must have absolute peace and quiet. But that cannot be possible if I have four children and a dog getting under my feet all summer!'

'But, sir, you did send for them specially. I remember most distinctly you writing the letter to Masters Dick and Julian and mailing it to their school.'

'Be that as it may, Joanna, that was before I realised the status of my work. If those children wish to spend their holidays elsewhere, so be it.'

The children would have given anything to hear more, but it was then that their Aunt Fanny emerged from a side door with a worried expression.

'Hello, children,' she said, hugging her two nephews, but sounding deeply concerned. 'I'm afraid we may have to intrude on them. Julian, would you mind getting the door? I'm not sure I can take an earful of your uncle's anger.'

All the children understood what she meant. George's father, being a scientist, was famous for his ill temper, which he very rarely took out on people other than his family.

Julian tugged the door open and all the children braced themselves. Timmy kept close to George. Fortunately, Uncle Quentin seemed to have forgotten the reason for his anger, for he and Joanna emerged from the study, all smiles.

'Well, what have we here?' said George's father genially. 'My word, this is a turn up for the books! Where, may I ask, is Timmy?'

Right on cue, Timmy bounded into the hallway, nearly knocking George's father over in his glee. He had no idea why George's father should have such a sudden change of character, but had decided to make the most of it while it lasted. Uncle Quentin shook hands with Julian and Dick, and then proceeded to kiss George and Anne.

'I suppose you all heard me rant at Joanna about half a minute ago,' continued Uncle Quentin. 'Well, the fact is that I have reached a most important phase in a new project whose deadline is only a week or so away. So I'm very sorry to say that I might have to send you all away again. Such a pity really, particularly as you two boys have only just arrived.'

The children all let out groans of despair and disappointment.

'Oh, Uncle Quentin! We wanted to row out to Kirrin Island!'

'It was such a long journey, and it bored us so!'

'Do, do let us stay for a bit, even if it's just for one night!'

'Timmy and I have friends to meet with, and we'll be so upset if we don't!'

Uncle Quentin held up a hand. 'I can understand that you're all upset,' he said. 'So I've decided to send you somewhere you've never been before.'

'Somewhere special, he says,' said Joanna sardonically.

The children exchanged glances. They'd been to so many places together and they'd all had such great fun that they couldn't even begin to think of anywhere they hadn't been outside of Britain. Julian said as much to his uncle, who chuckled.

'I understand, Julian,' he said. 'But this place is extra special, and has a most exciting society there. I'm sure you'll all love it.'

'What's it called?' asked Anne.

'It is called Sodor,' said her uncle. 'At least, that's the name it calls itself. It has an ancient and honourable history, and it lies between the Isle of Man and the coast of northwest England. It also has something that makes it quite different from anywhere else in the world, but it's a secret for now.'

The children badly wanted to ask why this place should be different to anywhere they'd been before, but Uncle Quentin had said it was a secret, so they didn't. Instead, Joanna led the way into the dining room where tea was laid: bread and butter, a great big cake, and plenty of buns and scones.

'I wonder what this Sodor will be like,' said George as they tucked in. 'It sounds so – different! It's certainly something I've never heard of before.'

'It rings a bell,' said Dick slowly. 'We might've heard of it at some point. I remember Dad telling me when I was about eight that he read an article about it in the paper, and that it was 'a place of natural beauty'. But he didn't say anything more.'

'Smith major mentioned it a few months ago,' said Julian, frowning as he tried to remember. 'He said his cousin went there and came back saying it was the best trip of his life. But he didn't say who or what he saw or what he did. He just said that he'd recommend it to anyone going on holiday. And I remember reading the name in some books I got as a Christmas present. The books were part of a set called _The Railway Series_ and it involved the adventures that a band of railway engines can get up to.'

'I've never heard of it either,' said Anne. 'But you're right, George. It does sound like a change. I do hope we don't have another of those dreadful adventures.'

When tea was over, Aunt Fanny insisted that the children go straight to bed. 'Look at you!' she said. 'You're all yawning like chasms. Besides, Uncle Quentin says you must stay the night, partly to make up for the disappointment and partly because no trains will be running at this hour. Now up you go. I'll see you all in the morning.'

All the children went upstairs, washed, changed into their pyjamas and rolled thankfully into bed. Timmy, who'd been accepting titbits as usual, slunk upstairs and peeped into the girls' room. Yes, there was his little mistress, fast asleep, her bed and legs calling out to be slept on. He slipped into the room, leapt lightly onto the bed and settled down, nestling into the crook of her legs. George smiled in her sleep. She knew that, whatever Sodor may hold, so long as she had Timmy, she and her cousins would have nothing to fear!


	2. Off We Go!

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends nor the Famous Five.

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CHAPTER TWO

'_**Off we go!'**_

The next day was glorious, with a sapphire sky and birds twittering happily in the trees. The children couldn't have felt more excited! How they wished breakfast would be over so that they could set off as soon as possible!

'I'll come with you as far as the station,' said Aunt Fanny as the children entered the kitchen. 'I'm not sure any of you can carry your cases all the way, even if Julian is the strongest.'

'But what are we going to do about them?' said George. 'We can't lug them all the way to Sodor!'

'Don't you worry about those,' said her father. 'Last night, I contacted a friend of mine who lives on the island and is head of its railway, and he said he would be delighted to have you on the island, particularly as this is Sodor's tourist season, where lots of people visit the island. Also, your mother and I packed rucksacks for all of you, even Timmy. They contain everything you'll need for a camping trip, with tents in George and Julian's packs.'

'Oh uncle, will we be camping on Sodor?' said Dick joyously.

'Well, I thought that would be the best choice,' smiled his uncle. 'The choices were camping, caravans or boarding. I thought you might be a bit too old now to board. To add to that, there didn't seem to be many contacts on Sodor who owned caravans, and I thought it would be most tedious to lug an entire caravan to Sodor and back. But I just _knew_ that camping was the choice you'd all go for!'

'Yes, it is!' cried all the children at once. 'Oh, this is going to be a simply FANTASTIC holiday!'

'All right, no need to get so excited,' said Aunt Fanny with a laugh as she and Uncle Quentin held their ears. 'You haven't even boarded the train. Now tuck in, all of you. You need your strength.'

'How are we getting to Sodor?' asked Dick as the children demolished plates of eggs and bacon.

'Well, the normal way would be to take the train to London and then board the Wild Nor' Wester, which is Sodor's main Express,' said Uncle Quentin. 'In fact, it's the only service in and out of Sodor, and it leaves St Pancras promptly at eleven o'clock.'

Of course, this made the children even keener to be on their way. So, once breakfast was over and they'd been given their rucksacks, the children rushed down the garden path and scrambled into the trap. A few moments later, Aunt Fanny joined them and they set off. Uncle Quentin and Joanna came out to the gate to see them off.

'Well, have a fantastic time, all of you!' Uncle Quentin yelled after them as George expertly guided the pony towards the station. 'And do NOT on any account get into one of those unpleasant adventures of yours!'

'What sort of parting advice is that?' tutted Aunt Fanny. 'Knowing you children, you're bound to get up to something, no matter where in the British Empire it happens to be.'

The children laughed, and Timmy barked eagerly. They understood exactly what Aunt Fanny meant. Whenever they went on holiday together, no matter what the location, an adventure somehow crept up on them. But hopefully, not on this strange place, Sodor – that was what they thought...

Soon, the station came into view, empty for the moment. But as the children climbed down from the trap, they heard the familiar shriek of an engine's whistle and the clickety-clack of wheels against the rails.

'Hurry up!' cried Aunt Fanny anxiously, quickly hugging the children. 'Trains don't stop at Kirrin for very long, and I'm sure you don't want to wait another minute to get going.'

'Buck up, for goodness sake, Anne!' said Julian impatiently, dragging the bags out of the trap. 'Unless you want to miss out on another grand trip, we have to catch this train.'

None of the children wanted to suffer two disappointments in two days, so they seized their rucksacks, shouted a goodbye to their aunt and crowded onto the platform just as the train pulled in. Dick flung open the door of the nearest compartment and they all scrambled in, Timmy bringing up the rear. George had barely slammed the door than the guard's whistle blew and the train moved off.

'This holiday is going to be great!' said Dick happily, settling comfortably into his seat. 'We've been on holiday to dozens of places before, but never one that we know nothing about.'

'Well, for one thing, we do know some things about Sodor,' said Julian. 'Father was talking about it just before we left for school. He said that it has beautiful scenery and that it's a jolly popular place for fishing and trainspotting.'

'Good fishing?' said George, eyes gleaming. 'That sounds fine! I'm certainly up for a spot of fishing, aren't you, Tim?'

'Woof, woof!' said Tim solemnly, which was his way of saying, 'Absolutely!'

'What's trainspotting?' asked Anne, who'd never fully heard of the pastime before – unlike the boys, whose friends' fathers often did it in their spare time.

'Well, it's when you stand by the side of a railway and, when a train comes by, you take a picture of it and write down its number in a notebook,' said Julian. 'It's just a bit of harmless fun, really.'

'Father doesn't like that sort of thing,' said George. 'He thinks it's just people poking their noses into other people's business. He says it's a rude thing to do, so I don't like that sort of thing either.'

'Come on, George,' said Dick bracingly. 'You heard Ju, it's just harmless fun.'

'Maybe we should try it out once we get to Sodor,' said Anne, who always liked trying new things.

There was a brief silence, while everyone thought about what Sodor was really like. Before long, Timmy became aware that none of them was moving, and looked up. He was surprised to see that all four children had dozed off. He couldn't imagine why, but put it down to the train's gently soothing motion. He lay down on the floor, wondering if he would be able to doze off too. Sadly, he couldn't, so instead he nuzzled up to George and gazed idly out of the window as the hills and trees flicked past, as if they were running of their own accord. At any rate, he was glad that he hadn't dropped off as well. Whenever his charges dozed off, Timmy always considered himself to be their defender.

After about two hours, the countryside disappeared, to be replaced by dirty grey buildings, at least three storeys high. The number of tracks under the train increased, and looking round, Timmy could see dozens of other trains, very like theirs, pulled either by steam engines or strangely shaped objects that he could only assume were locomotives as well. In the far distance, a soaring clock tower stood proudly among the other building, showing the time as half past ten. Timmy gazed at the scenery, his big brown eyes wide with wonder. He and George had almost never entered London, so to him, it was as if this was another world compared to the comfortable coastal landscape of Kirrin. Julian, Dick and Anne had lived in London for most of their lives, but now that they were living close to George, they rarely visited the city.

The train started slowing and, as Tim watched, the children woke up one by one, groaning contentedly and stretching. The view of London was very overcast indeed, with swirling clouds and tall, stone buildings that made Julian, Dick and Anne rather glad that they'd moved to the countryside.

'Ugh!' said George in disgust, gazing through the window. 'How dirty it all looks! I'm glad we live in the country!'

'We used to live in the city,' began Dick, but his voice was drowned out by the engine's whistle. At once, the children leapt up and grabbed their bags, longing for the train to stop. Soon, it slowed to a halt and the children scrambled out onto the platform as well as a large crowd of fellow passengers.

'I vote we go and find something to eat and drink,' said Julian. 'It's been simply ages since we've last eaten, don't you agree?'

The others most certainly _did_ agree, and they all made for the station cafe, where they sat at a table overlooking the platforms and ordered sandwiches and cakes all round. In a fit of holiday high spirits, Julian ordered five plates so that Timmy could join in. Once the food arrived, the four children – and dog – set to work with zest, because, as Julian had said, it had been a long time since they'd last eaten, and the excitement over the trip hadn't helped either.

They had almost finished when a loudspeaker burst into life on the platform outside: 'Wild Nor' Wester to Sodor will be departing from platform 3 in ten minutes. Wild Nor' Wester at platform 3.'

'Come on,' said Julian. 'If we don't catch this train, we'll have to wait till tomorrow for the next one. Buck up, Anne, time isn't on our side.' They leapt to their feet and headed for the door.

'Off to Sodor, are you?' called the cafe owner. 'Well, have a good time if you are, and be sure to say hello to some of the engines there.'

'Whatever do you mean?' said George in surprise. 'How can you possibly say hello to a train?'

'Wait and see,' smiled the man with a roguish gleam in his eye.

The children pondered over what the man could mean as they ran towards the train. Timmy pounded along behind them, taking great care to avoid being left behind. Fortunately, there was little chance of that as the children clambered into a carriage, found an empty compartment and threw themselves in. Five minutes later, the whistle went and the train began to move.

'Did you see that engine that was pulling the train?' said George finally. 'It looked simply hideous. It was painted green and yellow and I'm sure it didn't have the same things as a steam engine.'

'It didn't,' said Julian. 'That was a diesel engine. They've been on the system for a few years now, and I'm sorry to say that they're starting to replace steam engines. That's why so many of the steam railways are becoming more and more scarce.'

'What did the cafe owner mean by "say hello to the engines"?' said George, puzzled. 'He must know something we don't. Can it be something to do with the secret Father wouldn't tell us?'

'Oh, Julian, do you think that Sodor has some sort of magic about its trains?' said Anne eagerly.

'How do _I_ know, silly?' said Julian with a chuckle. 'We've only got Uncle Quentin's word for it that it's a most unique place. None of us know enough about it yet to make judgements. Besides, secrets can't be secrets if we know all about them, can they?'

Timmy had been sprawled on the bench beside George, listening intently to everything that the children were saying, but now he barked excitedly at Julian's reason for secrets. The children heard him and laughed.

'He agrees with you, Julian,' said Dick. 'At least we'll have a jolly good bodyguard on Sodor.'

George glowed. She loved to hear people sing Timmy's praises. Just then Dick reached into his pocket and took out a handful of leaflets and maps.

'I got these from the tourist information office,' he said. 'They didn't cost a penny. I just got what I could and headed out again.'

'Good thinking,' said Julian. 'Now we'll know a little bit more about Sodor, so we won't get lost or scared. But we won't look for now; let's try and while away the hours. We've got a long journey ahead. Now, has anyone brought any games?'

Anne glanced into her bag and brought out a snakes-and-ladders board, a pack of playing cards and a chessboard. The children agreed to start with snakes and ladders, and George insisted that Timmy was to be given a part in the game.

'He'll just feel left out if we don't,' she said. 'Besides, it'll be something new to have Tim play games with us. I believe he's never played proper board games with us in his life!'

The children laughed and began to play. None of them knew how long they'd been playing, but they only became aware of the time when Dick glanced at his watch and exclaimed, 'Gosh, it's almost two o'clock! We must be getting close to Sodor by now!'

Barely had he said it than they felt the train slowing down and eventually stop in a station. Anne glanced outside and saw that, according to the station sign, they'd stopped at Doncaster.

'Why have we stopped?' asked George. 'I thought that it would just go straight to Sodor. I jolly well hope we have not broken down.'

'It probably has other stops along the way,' said Julian. 'Besides, I'm sure the diesel up front needs more fuel or maybe another engine's coming to take the Express on.'

As it turned out, Julian was right about another engine for, about half a minute later, a shrill, shrieking whistle resounded through the station, making the children nearly jump out of their skins. Timmy was startled too and began to bark loudly.

'Quiet, Tim!' ordered George. 'It's only another engine. Oh, how I hope it's a _steam_ engine!'

Just then, there was a jerk and the train began to move again. But now the children heard a familiar 'chuff-chuff-chuff' sound coming from the front of the train.

'It _is_ a steam engine!' cried Dick excitedly as steam billowed down the length of the train. 'I wish I could see him!'

'Maybe we can,' said Julian, opening the window. He peered outside, craning his head to see as far down the train as he could. This was difficult for three reasons: the steam that billowed down the train, the small gap he had to fit his head through and the length of the train itself – the boy counted about sixteen coaches. But by squinting through the steam, Julian could just make out a long tender engine, painted a brilliant blue and puffing and pulling for all it was worth.

Julian pulled his head back into the compartment. 'It's a big blue engine,' he announced. 'You have a look now, Dick.'

The other three took it in turns at trying to catch a glimpse of the engine. George lifted Timmy so that he could have a look too. At last, they sat down again and Dick closed the window.

'But why would we suddenly have a steam engine instead of a diesel?' said Anne. 'The diesel was working perfectly all the way.'

'Maybe the men in charge had a change of heart,' suggested George. 'And no wonder, seeing as that diesel was so ugly.'

'Maybe the diesel was needed somewhere else,' said Dick. 'The engine at the front could just be a replacement. Maybe there'll be yet another change further on.'

'I don't suppose the diesel goes as far as Sodor,' said Julian. 'This could now be our engine for the rest of the journey.'

Julian was right again for, though they stopped again at a station that called itself Crovan's Gate, no engine changes took place as far as they could see. They only met a few engines on the way, all of them passing too fast to be distinguishable. There was also a large, complicated piece of machinery made of yellow metal standing on the rails and, peering closely, they saw that it was being loaded with stones that seemed to be being transferred to the rails on which the machine was resting.

At last they pulled into a big station, not as big as St Pancras, but certainly bigger than any they'd seen on the way, with a glass roof and four platforms leading into it. The train stopped at platform one and all the children clambered out, shouldering their bags as they went.

Dick reached into his pocket and tugged out the map of Sodor he'd found at St Pancras, which he handed to Julian. Julian unfolded it and examined it.

'Right,' he said. 'We are at...' he glanced at the sign above their heads, '...Tidmouth station, which is _here_.' He jabbed his finger at the point on the map.

'Where's our campsite?' asked Anne, who was keen to be on the move as soon as possible.

'I don't know,' admitted Julian. 'Uncle Quentin didn't tell us.'

'I suppose he wanted us to find a way for ourselves,' said Dick.

'That looks like a jolly good place,' said George, craning to look at the map and pointing at a hilly area not far from a place called Arlesdale. 'See? It isn't at all far from road or railway, there's a town nearby and it'll give us simply wonderful views of the whole of Sodor.'

'I think that's a smashing idea, George,' said Julian happily. 'All right, those in favour, say 'aye'.'

'AYE!' yelled Dick and Anne, so loudly that several heads turned their way.

'Woof!' said Tim in agreement, and the children laughed.

'Then that's settled,' said Julian as he folded the map away and handed it back to Dick. 'Right, here's what we do. We'll take a footpath out of Tidmouth, that goes past the River Tid, and comes out in a small village called Hackenbeck, and then it's up the hill and set up camp at the top. Let's go, then, and hope we can get there in good time.'

The children left the station and followed the road out of Tidmouth. The footpath was easy to find: all they did was follow the river through the town and a footpath sign pointed up the rough path across the fields. It was a most pleasurable walk, with the river on their left, the afternoon sun gleaming proudly overhead and Timmy occasionally disappearing into the undergrowth to hunt out rabbits or field mice. It took about forty-five minutes, following the path until suddenly it opened out onto a main road, with a few houses and shops on both sides.

The children followed the road, over two junctions, until they came to a fence, on the other side of which was a steep hill. A stile was set in the fence, about halfway across. Julian heaved off his backpack, tossed it over the fence and clambered over the stile.

'It's much easier to get our bags over, and then climb over after them,' he explained, turning to take the others' bags. 'We're also less likely to injure ourselves. Come on, George, I'll take Timmy over.'

Once the bags and Timmy were safely over, Dick, Anne and George clambered over as well. Then they slung their bags on again and began to toil uphill. This was more tiring, especially since they hadn't eaten for ages and they all had bulging packs on their backs. Julian decided to let Anne hang onto the straps of his bag in case she got tired and needed help. Nonetheless, all of them were glad when they reached the summit and were able to relax. They dropped their bags and flopped onto their backs on the soft, cooling grass. Timmy sprawled out next to George and she fondled him tenderly.

'Well, this may be jolly relaxing,' said Julian at last. 'But we've got some tents to put up before dark. If we don't start soon, we'll have to sleep under the stars, which won't be very nice if it rains.'

None of the children liked the idea of sleeping in the rain, so they all got to their feet and set about erecting the tents that had been unloaded from Julian and George's bags. They had each put up a tent so many times that, as Dick put it, they could've done so with their eyes closed, though none of the children actually liked to prove it. Timmy watched with interest, knowing he was of no use to tent building, as he might hurt himself or get in the way.

In no time, both tents were complete, and the children were able to unpack for real. Before they did anything, however, Dick said they should have something to eat, which reminded them of how hungry they all were. They sat in a row outside their tents, munching ham sandwiches, apples and chocolate, and drinking lemonade. Of course, each child gave Timmy a small bit of their share each.

The view was astounding! The sun was beginning to dip beyond the horizon, staining the sky pink and orange, while the clouds acquired a golden hue. The sea twinkled in the far distance and the occasional column of steam showing through the trees told the children that a day on the railway was drawing to a close. The air around them was redolent with the smell of honeysuckle and pollen, and animals like badgers and foxes were already venturing forth to begin their nightly hunt for food.

Once they'd eaten, the children crawled into their tents, bringing their rucksacks with them, then changed into pyjamas and wriggled into their sleeping bags. As soon as he was able to, Timmy rose, slipped into the girls' tent and lay down on George's sleeping bag. George opened one eye, and then closed it again, glad it was Timmy and not a fox or badger or any other four-legged animal.

In less than ten minutes, all five of them were sound asleep, wondering what tomorrow would bring and hoping that they would enjoy this holiday as much as the others.


	3. A Strange New Friend

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends nor the Famous Five.

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

_**A strange new friend – and a delightful morning!**_

Julian was the first to wake next morning. For a few moments, while golden sunlight filtered into the tent, he couldn't quite remember where he was. He glanced at Dick, eyes closed, mouth ajar, still fast asleep. And then he remembered. They were on Sodor! They were going to have the best holiday ever, with no fear of any adventures!

Julian glanced at his watch. He'd wisely laid it on his backpack, which was lying next to his sleeping bag. It showed half past seven. Gosh! If they didn't wake up soon, they might not be able to do all the things they did so want to do! He sat up and gently nudged his brother with his foot.

'Wake up, Dick!' he whispered. 'We're on Sodor! We have a big day ahead! Oh, do wake up!'

Slowly, Dick opened an eye. 'Oh, it's you, Ju,' he mumbled sleepily. 'Just go and let me sleep.'

'Not on your life!' said Julian, trying to shake his brother awake. 'Come _on_. If you don't wake up now, we'll never get down to some real exploring.'

Dick bounded up as though electrocuted. 'I'm ready,' he said. 'Let's wake the girls and get dressed. I just can't wait to get started.'

'All right, Dick, no need to go overboard,' said Julian with a chuckle. 'First, I'll go and wake the girls, and then we can have breakfast and set off.'

'Where to?' asked Dick, wriggling out of his sleeping bag at top speed.

'Wherever the moon takes us,' said Julian. 'That's the best bit of camping holidays. You can do what you like and go where you like, when you like! Now I must go and wake George and Anne.'

Within a few minutes, all four children were dressed and Julian was directing Anne and Dick to the village of Hackenbeck for provisions.

'Here's what we _need_,' explained Julian, handing a sheet of paper to Dick. 'But feel free to get anything we might _want_. Just don't buy too much – remember that we want it to fit in our tents!'

'Consider it done,' said Dick, pocketing the sheet, taking Anne by the hand and setting off down the slope towards the stile.

In less than a minute, Dick and Anne reached the foot of the hill. Dick let Anne climb over the stile first, and was about to climb over himself when he paused.

'What's the matter?' asked Anne.

'It might be just my imagination, but I got this jolly strange feeling that we're being watched,' said Dick slowly, scanning the hedgerows on either side of them. 'I felt it in my bones.'

'Don't be silly, Dick,' said Anne. 'It's probably just overexcitement at being somewhere new.'

But Dick continued to gaze round him, until he gave a sudden exclamation.

'Anne, look over there! I saw it most distinctly. Over there in that gorse bush!'

Anne whipped round and stared at the bush that Dick was pointing at. Sure enough, they could make out a figure crouched among the prickly branches. But even as they stared, the bush shuddered and crackled and its occupant – a slight, boyish figure wearing grimy shorts and jersey – leapt out and ran like the wind down the road and out of sight.

Having seen the figure emerge, Dick had at once started in pursuit, but the boy was out of sight almost as soon as he'd vaulted the stile and he soon gave up.

'Who do you think it could be?' asked Anne as they set off down the road. Julian had given them directions to Crowe's Farm, which was less than a mile from the campsite.

'I couldn't see,' said Dick. 'He was gone before I could get a better look. But even so, I've got this jolly strange feeling that I've seen him before.'

'Whatever do you mean?' said Anne, gazing thoughtfully after the boy, then at her brother. 'Could it be one of our old friends, do you suppose?'

'It's possible,' said Dick. 'This is quite a large island, after all, and I'm not sure if news travels well. But then we mustn't get our hopes up for another adventure.'

'Oh, can't we just have peace and quiet for once?' said Anne dispiritedly.

'Hasn't experience taught you anything?' said Dick as they neared the main gate of Crowe's Farm. '_We_ don't find adventure – adventure finds us!'

By now, they had reached the farmyard, where a tall, burly man in dungarees was oiling the rear wheels on a blue tractor. This had to be Mr Crowe. He looked up as they approached and smiled.

'Hello, children,' he said, straightening up. 'Come to clear us out, I suppose?'

'Not exactly,' said Dick, pulling the list out of his pocket. Quickly, he reeled off what they needed, and Mr Crowe saw to it that it was all provided. He even gave them quite a lot that wasn't on the list.

'You never know what you might need,' he said, carefully arranging the food in two large wicker baskets. 'That should do it. Now you can have the lot for half a crown – not a halfpenny more.'

'I say, that's jolly decent of you,' said Dick, feeling in his pocket and turning over the right amount.

'Not at all, Dick,' replied Mr Crowe. He smiled at their shocked faces. 'We were told that you would be coming – two boys, two girls and one dog – yesterday morning. We were told what your names were, and just what adventures you've been up to.'

'Do you manage the farm all by yourself?' asked Anne as she and Dick grasped the baskets, staggering slightly under their weight.

'Nothing of the sort,' said Mr Crowe. 'I have quite a few farmhands. Also, my goddaughter arrived the day before yesterday to spend her Easter holidays on the farm. From the moment she arrived here, she proved to be quite a treasure. I only wish you could see her, but she's gone off exploring.'

'Well, if she's really that valuable to you, she might just as well be your real daughter,' said Dick. 'Thanks again, Mr Crowe. You can be sure that we'll be back.'

A little while later, the Five were seated around a small campfire in front of their tents, while Dick and Anne cooked a simple meal of eggs and bacon. Julian and Dick couldn't help but feel as fond of their little sister as they'd ever been. They could not think _what_ they would do without her to provide grand meals wherever they went. Of course, Anne said the same about Julian for being their leader!

The view of Sodor from the hill was simply beautiful! The countryside stretched towards deep blue seas with golden sands and soaring cliffs. There were quite a few clusters of buildings that Julian said must be towns. 'Otherwise there wouldn't be railways,' he'd said.

Myriad birds swooped overhead, tweeting, cawing and mewing. Rabbits lolloped out of the bushes, disappearing as soon as they saw Tim. One came so close to Anne that she was able to reach out and stroke it, before Timmy frightened it away again, as was his custom. A big handsome stag watched the children from the shelter of a copse before retreating into the trees to find his own breakfast.

'Sodor has an awful lot of animals,' said George when they were eating their bacon and eggs. 'Do you think that's part of the secret Father wouldn't tell us?'

'I don't think so,' said Julian wisely. 'You see, there are billions of animals in the world and where we've been, there seems to be just as many as anywhere else. Besides, I'm not sure having a huge number of animals is too big a secret to be kept from us.'

'I hope there are lots of dogs,' said Anne. 'Then Timmy can make friends like us.'

'Woof!' said Timmy, and thumped his tail.

'He seems to like that,' said Dick, patting the big dog. 'It does seem most unfair to Tim if we can make friends, but he can't.'

When they'd finished breakfast and tidied up, the children shouldered their bags eagerly. Julian took the map and a pencil from his pocket and drew a large X on the hill where they were camped.

'That's to make sure we know where to get to if we get lost,' he said. 'So we are camped two miles from a place called Arlesdale and five miles from a town called Ffarquhar. Those ought to be quite familiar landmarks, in case we need to ask for directions.'

'Good idea, Julian,' said George. 'But where do we go from here?'

Dick peered at the map over Julian's shoulder. 'There's a town of Ffarquhar not too far from here,' he said. 'But I don't believe it can do any harm. At the worst, it ought to offer yet more information about Sodor. At best, we might actually find out Sodor's secret.'

'What are we waiting for?' cried Anne, who was bounding about like a spring. 'Let's go at once!'

'Right, off we go,' said Julian, and they set off down the hill, following Julian as he traced out the route on the map with his finger. The walk downwards was most pleasurable. The long grass swayed gently in the breeze and the fields were simply teeming with buttercups, daisies and daffodils. Timmy just couldn't resist trying to ambush any rabbit he could see, but George made sure he did them no harm, mainly by sternly calling him away if he went after the rabbits.

'Gosh, Sodor rabbits are just as tame as those on Kirrin Island!' said Dick. 'No wonder Timmy leaps at them like that!'

'Come _here_, Tim!' cried George loudly. 'For goodness sake, I shall take you back to the camp if you don't stop attacking those rabbits!'

Timmy emerged from the bushes, his tail down and eyes huge and sorrowful. He wanted to chase rabbits, but he did not want to be left behind, especially since this was his first day on a strange island.

At last, the children reached the foot of the hill where the fence and stile stood. They climbed over one by one and set off down the road towards the station of Ffarquhar. As they got near, there came the toot of a horn. A red single-decker bus sped past them, and pulled up at a bus stop near the station. The children thought no more of this, but listened carefully for any more vehicles as they arrived in the station yard. Just as they were entering the station, the horn sounded again and the bus sped away.

The children shyly entered the station building. A man was seated behind the desk and poring over a thick leger spread out in front of him. Posters plastered two of the four walls, advertising all manner of things, such as cigarettes, tea and confectionary. But two posters caught Dick and Anne's attention, for the simple reason that they advertised different railways. One advertised a railway called 'The Skarloey Railway', with a picture of a saddle tank engine that wouldn't have looked out of place on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. The second simply said, in big blue letters, 'NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY (NWR)'. After gazing at this for a few moments, the children approached the desk.

'Can I help you?' asked the man behind the desk.

'Yes,' said Julian. 'We'd like some information about Sodor. You see, we're camping on the hillside a few miles from here, and...'

'Oh, so you're the children Sir Topham Hatt told us all about,' said the man. 'In that case, go right ahead. Thomas will be arriving at platform one in –' he glanced at the clock on the wall opposite his desk, '– about five minutes. Sir Topham said that, since you're related to his old friend Dr Kirrin, we would give you train passes for your stay on his railway. Here they are, and enjoy your holiday!'

Utterly bewildered, the children and Timmy left the office and crammed onto a bench on the platform. The bench was so short that Anne had to sit on Julian's lap and Timmy was in danger of falling off, until George plonked the big dog onto _her_ lap.

They had just made themselves comfortable when a shrill whistle reached their ears. They looked eagerly up the track to see a small, blue, six-wheeled tank engine puffing towards them. Then the children wondered if they were perhaps still feeling drowsy, for the tank engine approaching them appeared to have a FACE!

The engine pulled into the platform, and the children saw that it was pulling two brown coaches.

'Hello!' it said, in a clear, rather squeaky voice. 'You must be the children the Fat Controller told us about. Welcome to Ffarquhar.'

The children felt that they simply must be dreaming. It had been surprising enough meeting an engine with a face, but one who spoke was surely too much!

'Excuse me,' said Julian in a polite voice. 'But we want to know who you are, and whether you are friendly. We haven't met a talking tank engine before, and we're all a bit nervous about it.'

'Please do not worry,' said the engine kindly. 'My name is Thomas the Tank Engine. This is Sodor Island, and this railway is my branch line. By the way, what are your names?'

'I'm Dick,' said Dick. 'This is my sister Anne, my brother Julian and our cousin George.'

'And this is Timmy,' said George, patting the big dog, who gazed up at Thomas inquisitively.

Thomas's face broke into a gigantic smile. 'Oh, George, he's gorgeous! You've made a perfect choice of dog!' Then he looked up, perplexed. 'Erm, I was told that Dr Kirrin would be sending along two boys and two girls, but there are three boys and one girl. Has there been a mix-up, Julian?'

George blushed with pride and pleasure. She loved to be mistaken for a boy, and calling her Timmy 'gorgeous' was praise indeed! Fancy Thomas doing both these things at the same time! She now knew that she was most certainly going to like this extraordinary tank engine.

'George is a girl,' said Julian. 'Her real name's Georgina, but she simply hates that name. She'll only answer you if you call her George, and she can swim, run and sail just as good as any boy.'

'Oh!' said Thomas, looking so taken aback that the children couldn't help but laugh. Thomas quickly saw the funny side and laughed as well.

'Thomas, are there lots of engines like you on the island?' asked Dick.

'You mean, are there more talking trains?' replied Thomas with a little smile. 'If that's the case, then yes there are – lots. I suppose that makes Sodor unique.'

'The secret!' cried Anne suddenly. 'Now we know the secret! Sodor's full of talking trains!'

'I say, so it is!' cried George. 'How wonderful that we've found it out at last!' Timmy barked loudly and thumped his tail on the platform.

'Well, it's not _that_ much of a secret,' said Thomas, clearly startled by this reaction. 'It's just something that makes Sodor stand out, I believe.'

'I remember reading about you in books from the school library,' said Dick. 'Apparently, you and your friends had many grand adventures on this island.'

'I read them too,' said Julian. 'The illustrations did show your lot with faces, but we thought it was just a way of relating to the characters and getting us to use our imaginations.'

'Where were you going before you stopped off here?' asked George.

'I was going to take the workmen to the quarry in Annie and Clarabel,' said Thomas.

'Who are Annie and Clarabel?' asked Anne.

'My two coaches,' said Thomas. 'I say, suppose I stay with you, then you can meet some more of the Ffarquhar fleet. And then you can all climb aboard my coaches and see more of the line as well.'

'That sounds like a wonderful idea,' said Julian happily.

'Smashing,' agreed Dick.

Thomas grinned. 'That's what I like to hear,' he said. 'But I'm afraid that I hardly know you. I've only got Dr Kirrin's word for it that you're all clever and brave children.'

The Five looked at each other and grinned. They felt that, so long as Thomas knew Uncle Quentin, they were perfectly secure.

'Apparently, Dr Kirrin's one of the best scientists in the business,' went on Thomas. 'He went to college with Sir Topham Hatt. He's the head of the railway, but we call him the Fat Controller. You may recognise Dr Kirrin. Tall chap, but has such a short temper! Lives in the seaside village of Kirrin. And I've heard that he's your father, George. But he doesn't say much about his home life.'

'I expect he just keeps quiet about it,' said Julian. 'Some scientists do, so I'm told.'

'Ah, well, that makes sense,' said Thomas thoughtfully. 'You see, I know nothing about how scientists think. To me, science is something complex that only a select few can truly understand.'

'I see what you mean,' said George. 'But my father didn't seem to make enough money for the three of us. That made him so bad-tempered. He even told me that Timmy had to go.'

'What?' cried Thomas in shock. 'Who'd want to get rid of a dog? Why, that's – animal cruelty!'

'I know, but Timmy was a jolly disobedient dog,' said George. 'But Father liked him in the end, and now he's a great deal kinder than he used to be.'

'I suppose...' began Thomas, but broke off at the sound of a bell. 'Oh, that'll be Toby heading off to the quarry with the workmen I brought from Elsbridge. It's only about a mile or so from here.'

'Then why don't we join them?' said Dick. 'A quarry seems like a smashing place to visit! I bet if we ask Thomas, he'd let us follow the workmen up the line.'

'Better not,' said Julian warily. 'It might be dangerous, and we most certainly don't want to be going anywhere dangerous. We might hurt ourselves.'

'It's not that bad,' said Thomas with a laugh. 'But you do have a point, Julian; quarries are so very unpredictable. As for now, take a look round the yard. This is where I live for most of the year round.'

The children looked up and saw a red brick engine shed, with three stalls side-by-side. It was at the edge of a small yard, and there was a separate track that the children assumed must lead to the quarry.

'It looks jolly nice,' said Julian. 'But who do you share the shed with, Thomas?'

As if on cue, there came a whistle and a tank engine pulled up beside Thomas. He was a little green saddle tank engine with four wheels and a number six on his bunker.

'Hello, Percy,' said Thomas. 'We've got ourselves some guests. Percy the Small Engine, meet Anne, George, Dick, Julian and Timmy the dog.'

'Hello, children,' said Percy, in a voice squeakier than Thomas'. 'It's nice to meet you.'

'You can say that again,' said a voice, and the children looked up to see a most peculiar-looking brown engine with cowcatchers and side plates, roll up in front of Thomas, pulling a vintage coach.

'You've been quick, Toby, and Henrietta too,' chuckled Thomas. 'This is Anne, George, Dick, Julian and George's dog, Timmy.'

'The Fat Controller said George and Anne were girls,' said Percy. 'But George is clearly a boy.'

'George is a girl,' explained Thomas. 'She hates being a girl, so you'd better call her George.'

'Well, if it makes her happy, so be it,' said the engine called Toby. 'I've just taken the workmen to the quarry. Busy as ever up there, but it's worth every minute of work.'

'What a queer engine Toby is!' said George, before she could stop herself. She blushed with discomfort, but Toby didn't look the least bit offended.

'He's a tram engine, George,' said Thomas.

'Is he electric?' asked Anne.

'Whoosh!' hissed Toby crossly, blowing steam from under his cowcatchers.

'Idiot, Anne!' hissed Dick, giving her a sharp nudge. 'Now you've offended him!'

'But trams are electric, aren't they?' said Anne. 'We've seen them in London.'

'They are mostly, Anne,' said Julian. 'But, unless I'm much mistaken, this is a steam tram.'

'Electric indeed, _electric indeed_!' snorted Toby. He looked most offended. Anne felt silly for thinking he was electric when he clearly wasn't.

'I'm sorry, Toby,' she said. 'I didn't realise you were a steam tram.'

Toby smiled. 'That's okay,' he said. 'You're not the first one to think I'm electric, Anne.'

'Are there more of you?' asked George. 'Or are you the only one left?'

Toby sighed. 'I'm afraid I'm the only one of my sort on the line,' he said sadly. 'I used to live in East Anglia, but my line was closed and I was brought to Sodor.'

The children were just absorbing this when they heard a third whistle from the line behind them.

'That's Edward!' cried Thomas, looking up as a small blue tender engine backed towards them. 'Hello, Edward! Good to see you! Oh, hello, Sir! I suppose you're here for the children.'


	4. Yet More Friends

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends nor the Famous Five.

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

_**Yet more friends**_

The children looked up in delight as the engine called Edward stopped alongside Toby and a man in a suit and top hat climbed down from his cab onto the platform.

'Hello, children,' he said. 'It's very nice to meet you. As I'm sure Thomas has told you, your uncle Quentin was a close friend of mine. But, first things first. I'm Sir Topham Hatt, head of the railway. What are your names?'

The children quickly introduced themselves.

'Timmy, shake hands with Sir Topham Hatt,' said George. This was one of Timmy's best tricks – he could hold out his right paw in a most polite manner. The engines and the Fat Controller, who hadn't seen this trick, exchanged confused looks. Then Timmy raised his right paw and shook hands with a stupefied Fat Controller.

'How on earth did he do _that_?' cried Percy.

'I taught him to,' said George proudly. 'He picked it up very quickly.'

'Of course he would,' said Thomas happily. 'He's the best dog in the world. Those who think so, blow your whistles.'

Thomas, Percy, Toby and Edward whistled loud and long, and George beamed at all four of them. Fancy steam engines calling her dog the best! She now knew she was going to like all of them.

'But back to business,' said the Fat Controller. 'I suggest that you children had better climb aboard Edward. I have some business to attend to at the quarry, but Edward can take you to Tidmouth.'

'Why do we have to go to Tidmouth?' asked Dick.

'To meet some more engines, of course, and to look around,' said the Fat Controller. 'The Ffarquhar branch line is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. So you ought to meet more engines, especially the Main Line engines.'

'Hop aboard, children,' said Edward. 'You can ride in my cab.'

'Come on,' said Julian. 'We should go. We should at least meet more of Sodor's unique engines. And we didn't see very much last night because we were so tired and it was so late.'

So the children climbed into Edward's cab. It was a tight squeeze, but Edward's driver and fireman cleared as much space as they could, and in no time, they set off up the line towards the Big Station.

'Have fun, children!' called Thomas. 'There's an awful lot to see at Tidmouth, and an awful lot of people to meet. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.'

The children grinned at each other. Thomas really was a most extraordinary friend to have, with his jovial face instead of a smokebox door, like on most steam engines. But he had such a kind nature and he was so learned of Sodor that the Five couldn't help liking him and trusting him.

'So, you're related to Dr Kirrin,' said Edward's driver at last.

'Yes,' said George, not sure whether to feel awkward or proud. 'He's my father, but he does have such a bad temper.'

'I see,' laughed the driver. 'The Fat Controller told us as much. Anyway, you might not know this, but right now we're standing on the footplate of who is probably _the_ oldest engine on the railway.'

'Really?' exclaimed Julian, eyes shining. 'Is Edward the oldest?'

'It's possible,' said the fireman. 'Edward and Thomas are both the oldest together. They were brought here to help build the railway. The other engines teased Edward about being old and having worn parts, but when James became a runaway and Edward caught him, they stopped teasing him.'

'Who is James?' asked Anne.

'One of the three Big Engines,' said the driver. 'The other two are called Henry and Gordon. You'll get to see them once we get to the Big Station. But for now, just sit back and enjoy the ride.'

The children were perfectly happy to admire the scenery as Edward trundled back over the river and through the tunnel, past an airfield with several old airplanes and one large white helicopter. Then they rejoined the Main Line that the children had come down last night and, after passing through another tunnel, they arrived at Tidmouth station.

The station and yard were quiet at this hour, but a few shunting engines were darting here and there, preparing trains for the bigger engines later in the day. At the end of a siding nearby was a simply enormous round shed. Its massive size made all four children and Timmy gaze at it in awe.

'That's the Roundhouse,' called Edward, as if sensing where the children were looking, and he slowed down and stopped in a nearby goods siding. 'It's where the Big Engines sleep during the night. It's quite the largest shed on the railway, and a good thing too.'

The children and Timmy scrambled out of Edward's cab and hurried round so they could talk to Edward himself.

'Is it true that you're Sodor's oldest engine?' asked Dick, trying to phrase what he was saying as tactfully as possible. Julian nudged him in the ribs and hissed, 'Must you?'

Edward didn't look fazed at all. 'Well, I'm not sure about the oldest,' he said with a smile. 'But I'm certainly one of the oldest.'

'Is Thomas the only engine with a branch line?' asked George.

'Of course not,' chuckled Edward. 'I also have a branch line, running from Wellsworth a little down the Main Line, to Brendam on the coast. There's also a railway running along the coast behind Tidmouth Station to Arlesdale, and the Fat Controller is considering making it Duck's own branch line because he uses it so frequently.'

'Who's Duck?' asked Dick, wondering who would give a locomotive a name like that.

'Me,' said a voice and a green pannier tank engine with 'GWR' painted on his tanks rolled up next to Edward. 'My real name's Montague, but they call me Duck because they say I waddle.'

'Do you?' asked Anne, surprised.

'Not really,' chuckled Duck. 'But I prefer Duck to Montague.'

Just then, the Roundhouse doors opened and three tender engines emerged, one behind the other. Two were about the same size, but one was green and the other blue. The third was about the same size as Edward and painted red.

'Ah, there you are, Edward,' said the blue engine. 'Would you mind hurrying on your way? I have the Express to take, and I have to collect my coaches.'

'Why can't you do it yourself?' said Dick, before he knew what he was saying. Julian dug him in the ribs once again, but Duck and Edward chorused, '_Tender engines don't shunt!_' Dick and Anne burst out laughing and the three Big Engines glowered at the seven of them.

'Allow me to introduce myself,' said the blue engine after a few minutes, and with great dignity. 'I'm Gordon the Big Engine.'

Big by name and big by nature, thought Julian.

'I'm Henry the Green Engine,' said the big green engine.

'And I'm James the Red Engine,' said the third big engine.

The children introduced each other, and then George introduced Timmy.

'Aren't you going to ask Tim to shake hands with the Big Engines, George?' chuckled Edward.

'I can't,' said George. 'They don't have hands, they have buffers.'

All the children laughed, while Timmy gazed at Gordon, Henry and James as if to say, 'Mistress is right, you know. I'm sorry I can't shake hands.'

'No one told me there was another boy,' put in Henry.

'George is a girl,' said Edward patiently. 'Her real name is Georgina, but unless you call her George, she'll ignore you.'

'That's fine with me,' said Duck. 'Georgina does sound a bit of a mouthful, and anyway, what you see is what you get.'

'Rather unnatural, for a girl to try and be a boy,' said James haughtily. 'Remember that horrible steamroller called George? He kept chastising us engines, starting with the Skarloey Railway engines and working up from there, by repeating the phrase "Railways are no good, turn them into roads".'

'Yes, well, he did make a show of himself,' said Gordon. 'But no one warned us of a dog. As you engines know, I was attacked at this very station by a huge and hideous Alsatian who scratched off all the paint from my boiler and tried to bite off one of my buffers. As a result, I have disliked dogs ever since, so I sincerely hope you can keep your dog under control, Georgina. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an Express to pull and it simply _must_ be on time.'

George glared after the big blue engine as he puffed towards the station. He had just announced that he hated dogs! Worse than that, he had called her Georgina, the one name she hated so very much! No wonder she wasn't going to like him! She knew that she couldn't like anyone who didn't like Tim.

But Dick and Julian ran after Gordon, determined to be friends with this giant of a steam engine. It was only now that they both realised that he looked most familiar. Maybe they had seen him somewhere before and forgotten all about it.

'Are you the only Express engine on the line?' panted Julian as they reached Gordon, who was backing down onto the Express.

Gordon opened his mouth, hesitated, glanced at James and Henry, and then said, 'Well, I'm an Express engine. But if I'm – oh, what's the word? – indisposed, then James or Henry will take over in my stead.'

'Didn't you pull the Express last night?' asked Julian, remembering the blue engine they'd seen at the head of the train, belching steam behind it.

'Yes I did,' said Gordon, looking both surprised and pleased. 'But no one said that I would be bringing you Five with me.'

'You look jolly familiar,' said Dick suddenly. 'Have we met before? Didn't we see an engine like you in London at some point?'

'Now you mention it, young Dick,' said Gordon grandly, 'I did travel into London at one point, when the engine meant to take the Express on from Doncaster derailed.'

'Of course!' said Julian, excited. 'I distinctly remember seeing a big blue engine at St Pancras! Come all the way from Sodor, the reporters said. Mum and Dad took your photo as much as possible, and all three of us, that's me, Dick and Anne, had our picture taken beside you.'

'How on earth do you remember that?' asked Anne, as she, George and Timmy came hurrying over, followed by James and Henry.

'Why, the photo album, of course,' said Julian. 'Mother took an awful lot of photographs from the visit of Gordon, and they were all simply marvellous pictures.'

'Well, of course they would be,' said Gordon, looking very smug indeed. 'After all, if you have Flying Scotsman for a brother, it's hard not to look...' He trailed off as five pairs of eyes stared at him.

'Good gracious!' exclaimed Julian. 'Flying Scotsman is your _brother_? No wonder we thought you looked big and fast and familiar!'

'But if you are his brother, why aren't you painted the same colour as him?' asked Anne.

'I _was_ painted green in my Doncaster days, Anne,' explained Gordon. 'But when I came to Sodor, I chose blue. I'm surprised you haven't figured it out, Julian. I mean to say, I was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, so it seems only natural that I and Flying Scotsman should be related. Now that I come to think about it, there are two other blue tender engines who live in the Tidmouth Roundhouse with me, James and Henry.' Just then, two deep-toned whistles sounded through the yard. 'And here they are now! Wasn't that quick?'

The children looked up and saw two identical tender engines approaching the station. They saw the children and came puffing over, both grinning cheerfully. As they drew near, the children could see nameplates on each of the twins' boilers. One was labelled 'Donald' and the other 'Douglas'.

'Och, guid mornin',' said the one called Donald. 'Ye maun be the bairns who are campin' on the braes. Mey we be aksin' ye fer ye names?'

'I'm Julian,' said Julian, 'and this is Dick, Anne, our cousin George and her dog Timmy.'

'Braw names, an aw,' said the twin called Douglas. 'We ken ye'll be haein' a great time aboot oor railwey.'

The children couldn't help noticing that the twins had a most peculiar accent, but none of them knew what it was. They would so dearly like to ask where they came from, but thought it would be rather impolite!

'You're Scottish, aren't you?' observed Julian. 'I remember reading about you twins at school. You both came to help with goods work, but the Fat Controller only asked for one, and he couldn't decide which one to keep and which to send home.'

'You both had mishaps as well,' put in Dick. 'You backed into a signal box, Donald. And you, Douglas, mangled a dreadful brake van with a little help from James.'

'We war shored wi' the scrap heap,' said Donald with a shudder. 'But when we did a graund job in the snaw, Percy spak tae the Fat Controller an' a' wa' weel.'

'We were an aw gien new coats o' pent,' said Douglas. 'Whan we cam here, we were pented bleck, but noo we're blae, like Edward an' Gordon.'

'Ah, there you are, Gordon!' said a booming voice just behind the children. 'Capital! I want a word with you, if you would be so good as to spare a few minutes of your time!'

The children swung round to see two stout, elderly and richly-dressed people marching across the platform towards them.

'Oh no!' groaned Gordon. 'It's Lord and Lady Belvedere!'


	5. The Belvederes And The Franciscos

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas the Tank Engine nor the Famous Five. Everything else (ie anything that you recognise) is copyrighted to me.

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE

_**The Belvederes and the Franciscos**_

The two people approaching the children were plainly very rich indeed. The man was about six feet in height, and dressed in a black silk suit with a poppy in the buttonhole, brightly polished black leather shoes and leather gloves. He had a shock of white hair, a thick white moustache and a ruddy-complexioned face. His eyes were steel grey and the left one bore a gold-rimmed monocle. In his right hand, he carried a silver-tipped ebony walking stick. The woman was about the same height and wore a fox fur coat, crimson high-heels and a flowered hat. She too wore leather gloves, and in one hand, she delicately held a pair of silver lorgnettes. Both of them looked very well-fed indeed. In fact, they were heavily overweight, with big stomachs that pressed against their clothes.

'How can I help you, my lord?' asked Gordon pleasantly.

'I need you to be back here, at the Big Station, in time for my trip to Crovan's Gate tomorrow afternoon,' announced Lord Belvedere, squinting at Gordon through his monocle. 'I cannot go any later than half past two, and it must be on the Express.'

'But I can't get back in time, my lord!' protested Gordon. 'I come into this station at half past three – no later, no earlier!'

'Couldn't I take you instead, my lord?' asked Henry.

'Terribly sorry, Henry, but it _must_ be on this train,' replied Lord Belvedere stubbornly. 'I want to appreciate the luxury of the Express, with Gordon as the lead engine.'

'Can I bring some Express coaches for you to travel in, my lord?' suggested James.

'All right, but only this once, James,' sighed Lord Belvedere. 'Remember, I like nothing better than travelling on the Express to and from Doncaster. So try to be as good as Gordon, if you can.'

'You can count on me, sire,' said James proudly.

'But I must say right now that none of you engines can ever make a perfect job!' said Lord Belvedere suddenly, looking most annoyed as his pleasant manner disappeared. 'I know that no one is perfect, but, over the six months I have been on Sodor, I have come to the decision that all of you engines are far from perfect! Your work is atrocious, your passengers complain about bumpy rides and you frankly damage Sodor's fame! If this carries on, I may have no choice but to report your actions to the Fat Controller!'

'Yes, my lord,' chorused the three engines, looking meek and miserable.

The children had watched all this in the greatest astonishment and horror. A very aristocratic-looking man had just marched onto the platform, ordered Gordon to take him to Crovan's Gate, wherever that was, and then told the engines off for awful quality in their work! It was simply unheard of! They thought Lord Belvedere was the rudest man they'd ever met!

Julian was about to say something when he noticed that Lady Belvedere was peering at them through her lorgnettes with deep suspicion.

'Who are these ragamuffins?' she asked distinctly.

Julian stepped forward, and offered his hand to the two nobles. 'How do you do?' he asked in his most grown-up voice. 'I'm Julian, and this is Dick, George and Anne. We're staying on Sodor for our Easter holidays.'

Not wanting to be left out, George introduced Timmy. Lord Belvedere's face contorted at the sight of Timmy. Too late, the children noticed that Tim was growling at His Lordship, every one of his teeth bared. The engines winced, sensing what was coming – and it did!

'A _DOG_!' exploded Lord Belvedere, his face a dreadful purple with rage. 'The one animal I despise more than _any other_! I will _not_ have dogs befouling Tidmouth Station! Take _that_, furball!'

As he spoke, he raised the hand with the walking stick and swung it through the air, the metal end aiming straight at Timmy! It was most unfortunate that, just at that point, Timmy had leapt at Belvedere. In his view, this fat, vulgar lord had entered the station and was even now threatening the children and, worse still, his beloved mistress!

The result was that, as Tim leapt at Lord Belvedere, the cane swung through the air, the metal tip catching the light. The stick caught the dog on the side of the head, toppling him like a tree. He crashed to the platform, dazed and bleeding. George let out a scream of rage and fear.

'You beast!' she yelled, her face nearly as dark as Lord Belvedere's. 'What do you mean by hurting my dog? How _dare_ you! You should get out of this station directly! It doesn't belong to you and never will do! You and your wife don't deserve to live here!'

'Talk to me like that again, young ruffian, and you will be next!' snarled Lord Belvedere. 'Animals _and_ children make me SICK!' Then he turned and stormed out of the station.

'Ugh, they are such horrible creatures!' sniffed Lady Belvedere, trailing after her husband.

Fury was still coursing through George, but she dropped to her knees beside Timmy. She was terrified that the wound might be worse than she thought. If it was, what would she do?

'Is he all right?' asked Duck anxiously.

George let out a shriek. 'Look! That awful stick's left a great big scar in Timmy's head! It's bleeding dreadfully! Oh, poor, poor Timmy! I should never, never have known what that man was going to do! It's my fault, you poor thing!'

'You mustn't make Lord Belvedere your enemy, young George,' said Edward sadly. 'He's a member of the aristocracy, and it would be simply dreadful for all of us if he took offence at anything. Dick, Julian, do you have any bandages for Timmy?'

Julian reached into his bag and took out a length of bandage material and a tube of antiseptic cream, which he handed to George. 'You're better at tending to Timmy than me,' he said. 'You can do the job. It might take your mind off those Belvederes.'

'That won't work,' said George in a choked voice. 'I know it won't. I simply can't forget how that beast they call a lord smashed his stick into poor Tim's head!'

Trying to stop her hands shaking, George rubbed some cream into Timmy's wound. Then, with Julian's help, she delicately bound and sealed the wound with the material. She realised at the end that she was still shaking, both with rage that Lord Belvedere would injure her dear Tim and with fear for her poor dog. The engines, along with Julian, Dick and Anne, watched and waited with bated breath, wondering if Timmy might have to see a vet.

'The cut's all right for now, but I don't think I can stay on Sodor any longer,' said the little girl at last, as she straightened up. 'I'm sorry, Duck and Edward, but if I stay, I'm putting Timmy's life at risk. I'm going straight home on the next Express.'

'Don't be crazy!' said James, exasperated. 'That wound is hardly life-threatening! Anyway, you've barely been on Sodor for a day. Why go home now? What will you do for the rest of the holidays?'

'James is right,' said Henry. 'You haven't even seen any of Sodor's beautiful scenery yet, like Cudlee Fell or the Skarloey Railway.'

'It's not safe for Timmy if I stay,' insisted George. 'There is still a chance that beast might come back to finish him off! I don't mind what you Big Engines say. I'm going home as soon as possible.'

'Can't you give us just one more chance?' said Gordon cajolingly. 'I'm sure you'll forget this by tomorrow, and think nothing's happened. Come on, Georgina, I hope you're not planning on spoiling your cousins' holiday as well as yours.'

'I will only be spoiling my own holiday, not the others',' said George, wondering why she was speaking to Gordon at all when she hated him for his callousness towards Tim and his refusal to call her George. 'All right, I'll give it a day, and then I'm leaving.'

'Bide a wee!' protested Donald. 'It's tae caum doon ye'll be needin'. Thare's nae pynt in rinnin' awa' richt noo. Juist bide wi' yer freends an' familie.'

'Gie it at least ae day,' agreed Douglas. 'Yon will hulp yer dug rekiver. Mebbe the baith o' ye will get some caller air an aw.'

'Look here,' said Edward, seeing that the children looked rather upset and shaken. 'I tell you what I'll do. I have a goods train to take to the china clay harbour at Brendam. How about I take you up the Main Line and show you my branch line? That'll cheer you all up, and it might help you think twice about leaving, George.'

'I say!' said Dick. 'Thanks awfully, Edward, old fellow! But when can we see more of the other lines on Sodor?'

'I'll ask the Fat Controller if he can't fit you all on my passenger train later in the week,' promised Duck. 'But I rather think you ought to see Edward's line first. After all, he's been on the railway much longer than me, and his line has more engines and landmarks.'

'Come on, George,' said Julian, seeing that Anne and Dick were looking keen to explore more of Sodor. 'Being with a good friend will help you get over your fright, and cheer you up.'

'I wasn't frightened,' said George indignantly. 'I was just so angry at the way that beast could hit poor Tim like that.'

'I know how you feel,' said Anne. 'I'd be upset if that man beat me.'

'I admire the way you spoke to him, though, George,' said Duck. 'None of us have ever dared to do or say something like that to Lord or Lady Belvedere, because it would look terrible for business. So I think you were jolly brave to stand up to him like that.'

That made George smile and cheer up enormously. She stood up, thanked Duck and, with Timmy gambolling round her, climbed into Edward's cab. Julian, Dick and Anne climbed in after her, and once Edward had collected his train, they set off out of the yard and onto the open line.

The children glanced back at the six engines as Gordon's passengers crowded into his coaches.

'How long has Gordon been taking the Express?' asked Anne.

'All his life,' replied Edward's driver. 'Certainly as long as it's been running. But, to be fair, James and Henry have their fair share of doing it, but the passengers say they never do as good a job as Gordon, because Gordon is the fastest and strongest engine on Sodor.'

George had a feeling that that only added to Gordon's pride. Maybe it's the only reason he looks down his nose at everyone, she thought.

The journey to Edward's branch line was enjoyable, even if no one spoke very much. The scenery was voted brilliant by everyone. While Edward's crew worked to keep their engine on the move, the children hung out of the cab and gazed at the rolling grass and hills while the trees and buildings slid past. Occasionally, they called out phrases to each other like 'I say, look at those cows!' or 'Those flowers look gorgeous!'

All too soon, the train pulled into Wellsworth Station. The children climbed down from Edward's cab and looked around. They had arrived at a large station a good distance down the Main Line. A line leading away from them led across a teeming yard and disappeared into the countryside on the other side. As the children watched, there came a deep diesel horn, followed by two squeaky whistles, and a big green diesel, followed by two small saddle tank engines, rumbled out of the woodland and into the yard, stopping close to Edward. Each engine was pulling a train filled with a chalky white substance that Julian and Dick recognised as china clay.

'You took your time, old fellow,' said the diesel, in rather an accusing voice. 'I've had my buffers full with these two troublemakers for far too long.'

'Hello, BoCo,' said Edward. 'What have they done this time?'

'Well, let's see, they rearranged the trucks I spent a quarter of an hour shunting, and tried to pin it on the engine in the moon,' replied the diesel. Then he noticed the children, which wasn't at all hard. Dick and Anne were both trying not to laugh. 'I say, what have we here?'

'Oh, of course!' said Edward. 'These are the children who will be camping here for the Easter holidays. Children, this friend of mine is a Metropolitan Vickers Diesel Electric Type 2.'

'Goodness!' said Dick in surprise. The children looked at one another, wondering what to say. 'Well, how do you do, Mr...'

'Never mind all that!' chortled the diesel. 'Just call me BoCo – everyone does. And this is Bill and Ben, the china clay twins.'

'Nice to meet you,' said George. 'This is my dog, Tim. What do you two think of him?'

The twins surveyed Timmy critically.

'He's too big,' said Bill.

'His tail's too long,' said Ben.

'His mouth's too wide.'

'His ears are too pricked.'

'His legs are too long.'

'His head's too big.'

'His...'

George interrupted indignantly. 'Well, if you're only going to be mean to Tim, then you jolly well shan't know him!'

'Simmer down, George,' said Bill. 'We were only teasing.'

'We think he's a great dog,' said Ben. 'Aren't you, Tim?'

'Woof,' said Tim, and tried to lick the twins' faces.

'Get down, Tim,' said Julian. 'Engines' faces aren't meant to be licked. Edward, do all four of you work as a team on your branch line?'

'Yes indeed,' said Edward. 'But Donald and Douglas help out if we can't handle by ourselves. The workmen come up to Wellsworth on the Express or another of the Main Line trains and we bring them to the quarry and back again in the evening.'

'Have any Big Engines come down this line?' asked George. Bill and Ben burst out laughing.

'Yes!' they chorused. 'Gordon!'

'He says it was by mistake,' said Bill. 'Some problem with timing at the Big Station or something, and he ended up at the harbour where we work!'

'We teased him by saying we'd dump him in the sea,' added Ben. 'But BoCo caught us and sent us away, the big spoilsport!'

'Be fair, twins! Gordon did say branch lines were vulgar,' said BoCo. 'And the Fat Controller forbade him, Henry and James to come down here.'

'Serves him right,' said George, who still didn't like Gordon very much. 'I bet he did look silly when he found himself on your branch line, Edward!'

'Why are the Big Engines not allowed on the branch lines if the smaller engines are allowed on the Main Line?' asked Dick.

'That's easy,' said Edward. 'Branch lines have weaker bridges and tracks because they're specially designed for lighter engines like me and Thomas, while on the Main Line, the structures are much stronger in order to bear engines like Gordon and Henry.'

'It sounds awfully complicated,' said Anne, who didn't understand those sorts of systems very well.

'Well, put it like this,' said Julian. 'Different railways are adapted to the engines that are supposed to run on them. Edward, do you think we could go off by ourselves for a while?'

'Certainly, Julian,' said Edward. 'There's plenty to do in the Brendam countryside – walking, picnicking, climbing trees, all sorts.'

'Must you go so soon?' said Bill. 'We've only just got to know you.'

'There's no "must" about it,' said Julian. 'I just thought we might need a bit of fresh air.'

'Very well,' said Ben. 'Only don't run away on us, that's all.'

The children were rather disappointed at having to leave the railway so soon. 'Will you still be here?' asked George, who still found it hard to believe that she was seeing things clearly.

'Of course we will,' chuckled BoCo. 'We won't disappear into thin air just because you aren't here with us. We'll always be here, no matter what happens!'

'Come on, then,' said Julian. 'Let's go and explore the island in more detail.' The four of them donned their backpacks and left the station by the road, calling a last goodbye to the four engines as they went. By following Julian's map, the children soon found a country road running beside the sea.

There was no one around, and the children felt perfectly safe walking in the middle of the road. The walk was just as pleasant as that morning's. Rabbits again poked their heads out from holes, only to vanish when they saw Tim. Birds tweeted from the overhanging branches of trees. A hedgehog ambled through the long grass. A family of deer – stag, doe and two fawns – watched the children from over the hedge and didn't flee when Anne stroked one of the fawns and Julian patted the stag.

'The wildlife on Sodor is smashing,' said Dick as they set off again, leaving the deer to scavenge in their field. 'I'm surprised Thomas didn't mention it when we first saw him.'

'The rabbits are so sweet and tame,' said Anne, watching a few young ones chew grass on the verge. 'I only wish Timmy wouldn't chase them.'

'It's in his interest,' said George. 'He thinks rabbits are only meant for chasing. Besides, running after them does him good, after having to stay in a kennel all term.'

Julian looked at his watch. 'Goodness! It's almost half past twelve!' he exclaimed. 'No wonder I'm starving! I suggest we find somewhere to have lunch as soon as possible.'

The others agreed. They traversed the fence and found the perfect spot underneath a huge oak tree. They sat down, took out the sandwiches and cakes and tucked in, watching the animals at play.

The food was delicious, and the children all managed second helpings of everything. They were just finishing when Dick said, 'I say, look over there!'

Everyone looked where Dick was pointing and saw something white in the middle of the grassland.

'What is it?' asked Anne. 'Some sort of sheet?'

'It doesn't look like one,' said Julian. 'Let's go and see what it is.'

They got up and headed across the field. As they got closer, they saw that it was in fact a smock, worn by a black-haired boy sitting before an easel. The boy was about the same age and height as Julian. His face was creased in concentration as he swept his paintbrush across his canvas. There was a palette of colours in his free hand, and he looked so serious that the children didn't dare disturb him.

At length, the boy looked up. 'Hello,' he said, in a friendly voice. 'How can I help you?'

'We're staying here for the Easter hols,' said Julian. 'We're camped on a hill near Ffarquhar. We're just exploring today. Do you live here?'

The boy carefully set down his brush and palette. 'I do indeed,' he said. 'I live a little way down the road. I'll show you, if you like.'

'But what about your painting?' said Anne.

'I'll take that,' said the boy. 'I'd just finished it anyway. Here it is. What do you think?' He showed the children a study of the field with deer, foxes, badgers and rabbits swarming across the grass.

'It looks wonderful!' said Julian, who had a great respect for artists. 'You should do this as a job!'

'I've got my whole life ahead of me,' said the boy with a laugh as he folded up his easel. 'There are other careers I can chase. Shall we be off, then? I'm David, by the way – David Francisco.'

'I'm Julian,' said Julian. 'This is Anne, Dick and our cousin George. George's real name is Georgina, but you must call her George or she'll ignore you.'

'And this is Timmy,' said George, patting the big dog, who was gazing up at David as though he were visiting royalty.

'And a very nice-looking dog he is, too,' said David, tucking the easel under his arm and patting Timmy on the head with his free hand. 'Shall we go on, then? I'll lead the way.'

Just then, a boy and a girl came jogging up to them. The boy looked similar to David, with dark hair and a tall stature, but the girl had brown hair and was half a head shorter than the boys.

'What took you so long?' said David. 'I was just about to head off. By the way, this is Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy. They're staying on Sodor for the holidays. Chaps, this is my cousin Justin and my sister Polly. Well, now we're all here, shall we get to know each other?'

'Where do you live?' asked George.

'Just a little way down Edward's line,' said David. 'Come to think about it, I ought to take this easel back. It's taking my arms off. You know how it is.' With that, he vaulted the fence and hurried off down the road as quickly as his easel would allow.

The children waited awkwardly until David came back, which took a most surprising ten minutes!

'That was quick!' said Dick as David swung into the field. 'He must be able to run like the wind!'

'He was made captain of the school relay team because he can run so fast,' said Justin. 'I think his record is about half a mile in thirty seconds.'

'Golly!' said Dick, who was brilliant at sport at his own school. 'Doesn't he get tired at all?'

'Of course not,' panted David as he joined them. He had disposed of the smock and beret as well as the easel and painting. 'It's all part of the adventure! Besides, it makes jolly good exercise. By the way, George, I couldn't help noticing your dog's bandaged. Did he fall in a gorse bush or something?'

'No,' said George, and reluctantly told David about how Lord Belvedere had whacked poor Tim with his walking stick out of hatred for dogs. When she'd finished, David and Justin looked furious!

'That fat-faced old snail!' shouted David, so loudly that a flock of sparrows erupted from a nearby copse. 'That outsized garden slug! He's the cause of everything we're currently suffering, from late Expresses to garden termites! I'm not surprised he hates dogs! He hates every animal on Earth!'

'Why don't you tell the Fat Controller?' asked Anne.

David snorted. 'A fat lot of use that would do,' he said. 'First of all, his hoity-toityness is in the aristocracy, and it would never look good for business if we're seen dressing him down. Secondly, he'd only say he had nothing to do with it, and who is the Fat Controller more likely to believe?'

'He arrived here about six months ago,' said Polly. 'He's caused nothing but trouble since then.'

'If I had a dog and that old beach ball hit him like that, I'd fly at him,' said David viciously. 'He's got the sensitivity and compassion of a polar bear. I'm surprised you didn't attack him, George. A strong young lad like you – Lord Beaver-Face wouldn't have stood a chance.'

'It would certainly have taken him down a peg or two,' added Justin. 'We say "Action, Reaction".'

'It was in front of Gordon, Henry and James,' said Julian. 'There wasn't much George could do, not without the Big Engines taking umbrage.'

George had now knelt down beside Timmy and was gently peeling the bandage back to look at the wound. To her dismay, there was little difference. Blood still oozed from the wound, and the material was red and sticky to touch. Tears welled up in George's eyes, but she angrily blinked them away. She wasn't going to start crying, certainly not in front of her new friends!

'How about we try to forget about His Lordship for now and talk about ourselves instead?' said Polly as George delicately resealed the wound. 'So, how are you lot finding Sodor?'

'SMASHING!' yelled all four children at once, and Timmy barked in agreement.

'The wildlife is amazing,' said Dick. 'And the engines were jolly kind to us.'

'Don't you think it's at all peculiar to live on an island where talking engines live?' asked Julian.

'Definitely not,' said David, looking bemused. 'We've learned to live with it. And they're jolly good company. Why, Edward tells the most amazing stories, especially to us children.'

'As for the animals, they're just another part of Sodor that's made it famous,' said Justin. 'I take it you came by Edward's station.'

'Yes,' said George. 'But it said Wellsworth on the sign. So why is it called Edward's station?'

'That's obvious,' said Polly. 'It's the origin of Edward's branch line.'

'Do other engines have things named after them?' asked Julian, thinking it rather strange that Edward should have his own station.

'Yes indeed,' said David as they climbed over the fence and set off easily down the road. 'There's Henry's Tunnel, where Henry was bricked up for being scared of the rain. Then there's Gordon's Hill, the steepest hill on the island, so called because Gordon got stuck there while pulling a goods train.'

'Is Gordon the right sort for goods trains,' asked George. 'We were told he only pulls the Express.'

'Gordon hates trucks,' said David. 'So does James, for that matter. But because James is a mixed traffic engine – that means he can pull both trucks and coaches – he has to do it. But Gordon is an Express engine and so he can pull trucks only if he wants to – when pigs fly!'

Everyone laughed, but stopped when a tin can suddenly fell from the sky and landed with a clank on the road in front of them.

'Sorry about that!' came a voice from on high. 'How long does it take to paint a picture, David?'

'Longer than you think, Alex,' said David, as he, Justin and Polly raised their heads to address the speaker. The Five looked up in amazement to see a fair-haired boy of Anne's age perched on a high branch in a large fir tree by the roadside. The boy, who the children assumed must be Alex, was idly flinging pebbles at a range of tin cans that were lined up on a neighbouring branch. The Five watched raptly as he fired stone after small stone at each of the cans, sending them clanking to the road.

Alex flung a stone at the last can, managing to hit it at point-blank range, and then leapt from the branch, landing heavily on both his feet. Julian was glad of that – he'd been half expecting Alex to break an ankle dropping from such a height. His jump was clearly a signal as, at that moment, a boy and girl emerged and joined the group in front of them. The boy had brown hair, and the girl dark hair, but they were dressed similarly to David, Polly and Justin.

'Who are your friends, David?' asked Alex.

'This is Julian, Dick, George, Anne and their dog Timmy,' said David. 'Chaps, this is my brother Alex and my sister Lily, and Justin's brother Charlie.'

'How did you manage to jump from that branch without getting hurt?' asked Dick, who was wondering whether Alex was some sort of acrobat.

'Practice, my dear friend,' said Alex airily. 'We're known at school as the six most athletic children on Sodor.'

George thought these were rather arrogant children. How else could they discuss their skills so casually? She just settled for giving them dirty looks, and Timmy didn't so much as growl.

'George doesn't look very happy,' said Charlie at last. 'Anything wrong, old fellow?'

'Well, you lot talk about your skills as though you think you're better than others,' said George sullenly. 'We talk about our skills, but we talk about them with modesty, not conceit.'

'For your information, we're not stuck-up,' said Alex, all airiness gone. 'Not like characters such as Gordon and James. It's just part of our lives, that's all.'

'It's just the way you talk about your skills that make me so fed up,' said George fiercely. 'We use pride, not vanity, with talents. I don't like people who boast, you should know that. They do nothing but brag about what they're good at. It's enough to drive anyone up the wall!'

'Come on, George,' said David, clearly offended by her change of front. 'Take a good look at all six of us. Would we ever boast the way the Big Engines do?'

George looked hard into David's eyes, noticing as she did so that they were a deep, honest blue, just like hers. She could see that David would never be the sort to tell untruths or boast. She sighed.

'I'm sorry. It was just that you spoke about your skills so casually it sounded like boasting.'

'Well, we have been doing things like that all our lives,' said Alex. 'I suppose we see them as part of us, something to discuss. By the way, why is Timmy bandaged?'

'That skunk Belvedere hit him with that awful walking stick of his!' snarled David.

'He might not be as bad as that,' said Lily. 'He just might have been tormented somehow.'

'Or he might have lost his children earlier in his life,' said Polly.

'I keep telling you, who would want to have such a cad as their father?' demanded Justin.

'If he loses his wife now, it would make no difference to his personality,' said Alex.

'Sodor's too nice a place for him or his wife,' said Charlie.

'What does everyone want to do?' said Julian loudly, anxious not to start an argument with their new friends when they had such furious faces. 'Now that we're all here, it would seem a great shame if we didn't do anything to get to know each other.'

'That'll be easy,' said David. 'While I was returning my painting things, I told Father about you, and he told me to tell you four that you're all invited to tea at our house at five o'clock.'

'Fabulous!' cried Dick. 'What's your father like?'

'Hm, tall, lean, dark-haired, very strong, jolly brave and exceptionally clever,' said David. 'Don't give me that look, George! It's true! He's a surgeon at Wellsworth hospital, and a very well experienced and well paid one indeed at that.'

'Does he ever have time for you lot?' asked Julian. 'I've heard scientists and doctors do not lead very healthy lifestyles. Is he like that, always trying to handle people on the operating table?'

'Never,' said Alex. 'He's a very social man. In fact, half his time is spent with us six and Mother.'

'Is your mother similar to your father in terms of character?' asked George.

'Oh yes, very much so,' said David. 'She is a little weaker and shorter and not quite as clever, but aside from that, you could say they were made for each other.'

Everyone laughed at that.

'What do we do now?' asked Julian. 'It's quarter past two. Anyone got any good games to play?'

'How about a game of hide and seek in that thicket?' suggested Justin. Everyone said it was a great idea. As Anne pointed out, it had been simply ages since the Five had played games of that sort.

'You can be "it" first, George,' said Polly. 'You're a guest here. It'll take your mind off that lord.'

'If that's at all possible,' put in Lily unhappily.

So George closed her eyes and counted to fifty, while everyone hid, Timmy included. After that, everyone took it in turns to be 'it' to make sure everyone got a fair chance at hiding. Even Timmy got a turn, though he chose to bark loudly instead of shouting 'Coming, ready or not!'

When everyone had had their turn as the seeker, they gathered at the entrance to the thicket and Julian glanced at his watch.

'Goodness! Ten to five! We'd better set off for your home, David. Is it far?'

'Not at all,' said David, leading the way back through the coppice. 'Why else was I so quick returning the painting things?'

'You were just a very fast runner?' said Anne.

'It's just along here, in fact,' said Justin as the wood opened out into another field, smaller than the one they'd been in before, but strangely with perfectly mown turf. They had all emerged from the wood and were making their way across the field when a voice cried out from behind them.

'Halt! Who goes there?'

All ten children, and Timmy as well, stopped dead in their tracks, their hearts pounding.

'It's the master!' hissed David. 'He's seen us – and he's got a gun! Don't move, whatever you do!'


	6. Francisco House

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends nor the Famous Five. Anything outside these two universes belongs to me.

* * *

CHAPTER SIX

_**Francisco House**_

As the children stood still as statues, the bracken behind them crackled and crunched, and a figure emerged from the bushes and came hurrying up to them. He was tall and slender, and carrying a rifle.

'Please don't shoot us!' cried Anne. 'We didn't mean to intrude. It was an accident.'

The man paused and lowered the gun. 'It's all right,' he said. 'This gun isn't loaded.'

'But you told us to stand still,' said George, wondering whether the man would have shot Timmy had his gun been loaded. 'You thought we were intruders.'

'Merely a safety measure,' said the man evenly. 'It's something we Sodor country folk have to do from time to time. By the way, my name is Dr Sebastian Francisco, to give me my full title. I can see you have met my children.'

The Five now saw that David and his siblings and cousins were grinning broadly. This man with the gun must be David's father! He looked just like David had described him – tall and slender, with jet-black hair and twinkling light blue eyes.

David introduced the Five, and then George said, 'Timmy, shake hands with Dr Francisco.' Just like he had done before with the Fat Controller, Tim extended his paw and a mystified Dr Francisco set the rifle aside, crouched down and shook hands with the dog.

'A very fine dog, he is, too!' said the doctor as he straightened up and stuck the rifle into his belt. George grinned. Everyone she'd met on Sodor seemed to be thinking of good things to say about Tim.

'Thank you, Dr Francisco,' she said, smiling despite herself.

'Please, call me Seb,' said Dr Francisco. 'Everyone does: Sebastian's such a mouthful! By the way, why has Timmy got that bandage round his head?'

George said nothing. She knew that talking about His Lordship would only make her fill with anger all over again. But David was there and he and Julian explained what had happened at the Big Station.

When they had finished, all the traces of good nature in Seb's face had gone, to be replaced by a dreadful anger! The Five were reminded of George's father whenever he was disturbed in his work.

'That old clot!' bellowed Seb, his face crimson with rage, his eyes bulging. 'That infernal blackguard! Just let me at him! One of these days, I'm going to kill him with my bare hands! I'll teach him to pick foul with us Sudrians!'

'Steady on, Father,' said David. 'Just be glad it wasn't our dog.'

Seb relaxed. 'I suppose,' he growled. 'But even the thought of that toad makes me so angry!'

Dick and Anne exchanged nervous looks. David had talked about his father with pride and respect, saying he was brave and clever, but he hadn't mentioned that Dr Francisco had such a temper!

'It's all okay,' whispered Justin. 'Belvedere was arch-enemies with our grandfather at school. And it would seem their hatred passed on to Uncle Seb, because they're both nemeses now!'

Seb had heard this. 'They should have been placed in different schools!' he said menacingly. 'He would stop at nothing to try and get the better of me!'

'Is Lady Belvedere as bad?' asked Anne.

'Yes indeed,' replied Seb. 'As it turns out, while His Lordship was my worst enemy, Her Ladyship was my wife's. So you could say it's all square – or, in His Lordship's case, all _round_!'

They all laughed at that. It was so nice to laugh at a person who behaved as awfully as Lord Belvedere, who treated those around him like slaves and abused animals the way he did.

'But I mustn't be keeping you all waiting,' said Seb, all traces of anger gone. 'I trust you're all hungry, and that I and my wife have invited you all to tea at Francisco House. And as for Timmy, there's no need to worry, George. I should think that he'll make a complete recovery by tomorrow.'

At the mention of tea, the children eagerly followed Seb across the field until they came in sight of what had to be Francisco House. The house was a tall one, built of red brick, with big windows and a gravel drive leading up from the road and encircling the house like the brim of a hat. The field that the children had found themselves in turned out to be not a field at all, but the house's garden.

They crossed the grass with ease, and crossed the gravel towards the front door of the house. Dick and Julian kept looking round, as if they half-expected a luxury car to appear at any time, maybe from behind the house or up the drive behind them. At the other end of the garden, they could make out an area of perfectly flat grass that looked ideal for tennis, croquet, cricket or even football.

As they approached the front door, it opened, and a woman with fair hair and dark, kind eyes came out. She seemed surprised to see so many people coming up the drive. Then she smiled and waved.

'Welcome!' she called. 'Welcome to Francisco House!'

'Children, this is my wife, Samantha,' said Seb, walking up and slipping an arm round her. 'Just call her Sam. She's been expecting us, unless I'm much mistaken.'

'But of course,' said Sam. 'Come right in, dearies. Tea is served. The dining room's right this way. Please could one of you make sure that dog of yours has wiped his paws? I really don't want to be getting mud and grass out of the carpet.'

'Come on, you lot,' said Seb, as they crowded into the main hall, which had a lush red carpet and paintings of the Fat Controller's railway hanging on the walls. 'I suppose you're all famished after an afternoon of fun and games. The dining room's right through here. Careful with the ornaments, they've been in the family for donkey's years.'

Soon, they were all seated in the dining room, which had a bay window giving a view of the drive and garden. Sam had managed to place twelve chairs round the large square table, and one stool for Timmy between George and Dick. And what a feast Mrs Francisco had prepared! Big meat pies, ham and eggs, freshly baked bread, steaming jacket potatoes, a whole roast chicken, buns and scones, a large Victoria sponge cake and great jugs of lemonade and ginger beer! How the children tucked in!

The Five thought that the Franciscos were the nicest family they'd ever met! Not only were they treating Timmy like an equal, but they were now giving them a great meal without asking for payment of any sort at all. George also noticed that no one had so much as noticed she was a girl. Much as she hated to, she asked David why.

'I haven't been doing it for two reasons,' said David in a low voice. 'Firstly, you look, speak and act like a boy. Secondly, I suppose Julian and Dick are getting rather tired of explaining that you're a girl. So it's easier for everyone to assume that you really are a boy.'

George smiled. 'Thank you, David. I told you before, I _hate_ being a girl! I know having short hair and wearing boys' clothes helps, but I see now that not telling people also helps. Pass the bread and butter, I'm starving! I must say, this is probably the best meal I've ever had!'

Everyone agreed heartily.

'Mother is a simply marvellous cook,' said David as he reached for the bread. 'She always bakes bread and cakes on special occasions, and one of her rules is to never let any of us go hungry. Timmy! Where are your manners?'

Dick had poured Timmy a glass of lemonade and the dog was trying to lap it up from the glass without his nose getting stuck. Everyone shouted with laughter as Timmy sat back, looking, for a dog, rather embarrassed.

'Never mind, Tim,' said Seb, reaching for a bowl. 'You shall drink just like any other dog. I must say we didn't expect you to try and drink like any of us, even if you are seen as one of us. I bet you couldn't handle a knife, fork or spoon to save your life.'

George beamed as Seb poured the lemonade into the bowl and set it next to Tim's plate. It was so nice to hear someone actually appreciating her dog, when normally he would have been lapping from a bowl or gnawing on a bone in the corner. It did bother both of them that there were things Timmy couldn't do, but she was happy that someone was giving Timmy some attention, after he'd been dealt with so brutally by Lord Belvedere.

'We all love animals,' explained Polly, catching George's expression. 'We keep two horses and Alex wants a pet cat more than anything else. It helps that Sodor is simply crawling with nature.'

'Uncle Seb is helping with a project that saves endangered species,' said Justin. 'Those are animals with very low numbers still in the wild. What he does is hand out leaflets warning people about groups of dying animals such as pandas and tigers, and then, if he's lucky, people sign a petition.'

'I thought you said your uncle was a doctor,' said Anne, wondering how one person could have two jobs at once.

'I am,' said Seb. 'I just hand out the leaflets in my spare time. And, if I get a chance, I also give them to fellow doctors and patients at the hospital. It is so unpleasant to think of a lovable creature like the panda dying in China just so fat cats like the Belvederes can wear _panda-skin coats_! That makes my blood boil more than anything else!'

'Do they really wear panda-skin coats?' asked Dick. 'They would be most awfully expensive if they do. I know I could never afford one myself.'

'They wear coats of almost anything large and furry,' said Sam. 'Tigers, lions, leopards, mink, zebras, even foxes and badgers. It's just awful! If we didn't hate those fatties already, we'd certainly hate them now for being so selfish.'

David and Julian exchanged glances. They were back on the subject of Lord and Lady Belvedere, and that would almost certainly make George's anger rise once again. It had been so nice to think they were forgetting the callous lord, but now it would be spoilt.

'Why don't you take your friends out to the stables after supper, David?' said Seb quickly. 'I'm sure they'd love to meet Florence and Fred.'

'Are they your horses?' asked Julian eagerly. 'I'd love to meet your horses. Do you ride them?'

'Whenever we've got a spare minute after school,' said David. 'Florence is a bit of a loner because she's a good bit smaller than her husband, but Fred's the star. He's a black stallion, and he's massive! He has won the Sodor Derby five years in a row. Just wait till you meet him!'

That made the Five gulp down what was left of their supper and follow their friends into the garden. Timmy, sensing something had met their interest, bounded after them, tail wagging and tongue hanging out.

The stables were at the bottom of the Franciscos' garden, next to the tennis court. It was a long, low, wooden hut with two stable doors built in. As the children approached, two horses' heads appeared over the doors. One was black as night, the second brown as chocolate.

'This is Florence,' said Polly, patting the brown horse. 'We found her at an animal sanctuary a few years ago. She was awfully thin, but now she's well looked after.'

'She looks gorgeous,' said Anne, stroking the mare's velvety muzzle. Florence gently nibbled her hair in thanks.

'This is Fred,' said David proudly, patting the black horse, who pawed the ground with a tremendous clatter. 'He may look soft, but he's tough as nails. We bought him from a Scandinavian horse residence back when Alex was only a baby. I've seen him charge the engines on the Skarloey Railway three times. You should have seen the look on Skarloey's face as Fred tipped him over! We did not stop laughing for five minutes!'

'Who's Skarloey?' asked Dick as he and Julian fondled Fred's mighty back.

'Only the oldest engine on the Skarloey Railway, and possibly Sodor,' said Alex. 'Edward's a good friend of his, and of his brother Rheneas. If you ask him nicely, I am sure he'll take you there.'

'That sounds wonderful,' said George. 'Edward's a sport! And so is Thomas! They both showed us round their branch lines. Are these the only pets you have?'

'Far from it,' said David. 'Don't go away. I'll just get one of them.' He turned and hurried into a small shed nearby. When he returned, he was clutching something in both hands. 'Say hello to Octavia!' he said dramatically, and to the horror of the girls, he raised his top hand to reveal an enormous, black, hairy spider!

Anne let out a small shriek of terror and tried to hide behind Julian. David saw this and laughed.

'It's okay, Anne! This type of spider doesn't kill you, not like those in the jungle. This is a tarantula, and possibly the worst thing it can do to you is give you nightmares.'

Anne heaved a sigh of relief and approached David. 'Please, can I hold Octavia, David?'

'Of course,' said David. 'All four of you can.' He carefully passed the spider into Anne's cupped hands.

'Pinch me,' said Dick, looking bemused. 'I must be dreaming.'

'Anne holding a spider?' cried Julian, equally surprised. 'We must be seeing things! It must have been something she ate! Are you feeling all right, Anne?'

'She can handle a spider if she wants to, my friend,' said David, and his voice was suddenly stone. 'I tell you, if someone here says girls can't do what boys can do, I will make them eat sawdust!'

'It's all right,' said George, taking Octavia from Anne. 'It's just that Anne is more timid than the rest of us.'

'Not all the time,' said Julian as Timmy eyed Octavia with deep suspicion. 'There was a time when she became a tiger, remember?'

'Well, George is the tiger out of the five of us,' said Dick, and George gazed at him, not sure whether to feel proud or insulted. 'You should have heard her rage at Belvedere when he hit Timmy with that awful stick of his. You see, Duck told us that none of the engines had the courage to do that before then. All I can say is, like father, like daughter.'

Just as David was returning Octavia to his shed, after Julian and Dick had each held him, they heard a shout of '¡Hola!' Everyone looked up to see a middle-aged man striding across the lawn from the front gate. He was tall and thin, with bleached hair, a prominent chin and small watery eyes.

'¡Hola, Noah!' called David. 'That's Father's valet, Noah,' he told the Five as the man disappeared through the back door of the house. 'He's from Barcelona, in Spain, so he speaks not a word of English. However, Father and Mother are both fluent in Spanish, as well as French and German, so they can talk to him without having to speak slowly or do charades. He's a good chap, but he does tend to go over the top sometimes. Father taught us all a bit of Spanish, but only enough so that Noah can understand us.'

Julian looked at his watch and gave a loud exclamation. 'Good grief! It's half past seven! It's simply amazing how time flies when you're enjoying yourself. Sorry, David, old chap, but we've got to dash. Tell your parents goodbye from us, and we hope to see you tomorrow.'

'Come again soon,' said Lily.

'Hold on,' said Justin. 'What if you come here tomorrow and then Edward can take us to the Skarloey railway? Aunt Sam can rustle up a smashing picnic at a moment's notice.'

'That's a great idea!' said Dick. 'We'll be here first thing in the morning, just you wait and see.'

David and Polly dashed across the lawn and back into the house. A moment later, they came tearing back again, all smiles.

'It's OK!' cried Polly. 'Mother says she will be delighted to fix a picnic, so long as we're home by half past seven.'

'Oh, that sounds brilliant!' cried George, thinking the Franciscos were the nicest family she'd met.

'But we have to get back to our camp,' said Julian. 'See you at Wellsworth Station tomorrow.'

'We'll be there at nine sharp,' said David. 'Just try not to be late.'

The Five turned and hurried off up the road towards the nearest town, hoping to find a station for a train to their campsite. Within minutes, they were clustered on the platform of Suddery Station, catching their breath and waiting for Edward. He arrived about five minutes after they'd arrived.

'Had a great time, I see,' he said joyfully. 'How's Timmy, may I ask?'

George gasped. In all the excitement of meeting their new friends, she'd quite forgotten Timmy's head injury, which was most unlike her. She bent over and examined Tim's wound, then sighed with relief. 'It's fine, Edward. It's healing nicely, and Timmy should be perfectly fine by tomorrow night.'

'Capital,' said Edward. 'Well, climb aboard, children. I have to take you to Knapford so you can catch Thomas' last train.'

They all scrambled into Edward's coaches and whiled away the journey playing 'I Spy' all the way to Knapford. Once there, they only had to wait a minute for Thomas to pull in with his last train of the day. But they were surprised to see him puff in looking angry and worried.

'I told him about what Lord Belvedere did this morning,' whispered Edward to George. 'He thought you were wonderful to do what you did, but I think he took the abuse a bit too hard.'

'Are you and Timmy all right, George?' asked Thomas seriously. When they looked astonished, he managed a half smile. 'Word travels fast round Sodor, so we all know that you rightly yelled at Belvedere after he injured Tim.'

'They're fine, Thomas, don't fuss,' said Edward. 'Tim's wound has almost healed, and George is trying to ignore any mention of His Lordship.'

'Good thing too!' growled Thomas, his face now irate. How his moods do change, thought Dick. 'Those fat weasels that call themselves Lord and Lady Belvedere deserve to be yelled at, even if they are very high up the social ladder! They've been trying to wrong-foot us for weeks, just because they're so much richer and more well off than anyone on Sodor! I just can't stand the sight of them! We all hate them, and they hate all of us! Admit it, Edward!'

'Well, I confess that they are especially nasty,' said Edward. 'But His Lordship might just have had an unhappy childhood.'

'Come off it, old chap!' said Thomas scornfully. 'Those skunks don't give a hoot about any of us! They should both be thrown off the island for good! Climb aboard, children. I'd better get you home before I have to think any more about these bloated sewer rats! Just hearing their Christian names – Reginald and Ethel – is enough to make my water boil!'

Feeling slightly unsettled by Thomas' curious change of behaviour, the children climbed into Annie and didn't say a word to each other all the way to Ffarquhar. There they disembarked and, in twenty minutes, were tucked up warm and snug in their sleeping bags.

'Why didn't Thomas tell the Fat Controller he hates the Belvederes?' Dick asked Julian.

'Edward told us – they're aristocrats,' said Julian. 'It would be terrible for tourist business if the engines were heard abusing a lord, even if they are a nasty piece of work!'

'But why don't they just tell the Fat Controller?' persisted Dick. 'Surely they should always turn to the head of the railway if something's wrong!'

'He's probably too busy, what with the tourist season round the corner,' replied Julian as they lay back and closed their eyes. 'Go to sleep, Dick. We don't have to think any more about them. In fact, we might forget they're even here.'


	7. A Beautiful Railway

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends nor the Famous Five.

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN

_**A beautiful railway**_

The next day dawned bright and sunny. The children were excited. They did not know what the Skarloey Railway was, or why it was so significant to Sodor. Henry had mentioned it as a big Sodor landmark, but that was all they knew.

'I see Tim hasn't lost his appetite,' said Anne as they once again devoured a fine breakfast. 'He's eaten half the sausages already! I was worried that head wound was worse than I thought.'

'I must check the injury at once,' said George. She cautiously lifted the bandage on the side of Timmy's head, and gave a little squeal of joy. 'It's completely healed! Look, there's no sign that he's been hurt at all! Oh, Tim, I'm so glad you're all right!'

'Well, that's brilliant!' said Julian exultantly as George unwound the bandage and thrust the material into her pocket. 'Now he'll be right as rain for the Skarloey Railway.'

'Where is the Skarloey?' asked Dick as they cleared away the breakfast things.

Julian plunged a hand into his backpack and tugged out the map of Sodor. He spread it out and the five of them, Timmy included, peered closely at it.

'There!' cried Anne, her sharp eyes spotting the starting point about three quarters down the Main Line. 'At a place called Crovan's Gate.'

'It says "Engines are mended here",' said George, peering at the key. 'Gordon did say that the Works station was where the Express stops before reaching the Other Railway. That must be it!'

'And we saw the station name from the train,' said Julian. 'I wonder why we didn't see any engines there. Maybe we weren't looking in the right place. Or maybe there simply weren't any to be seen.'

The children thought about this as they swung their rucksacks over their backs and set off, Timmy shooting off like an arrow in their wake.

'How are we going to get to Wellsworth, Ju?' asked Dick. 'I would really like to see Edward and Thomas again!'

'Well, much as I would like to see Thomas as well as Edward,' said Julian reluctantly, unfolding the map and showing it to Dick, 'I've decided that we will be heading for Edward's station on foot. There's a road that starts not far from the River Els, just here, and it leads almost directly to Wellsworth. We should be there in about half an hour at the most.'

'I hope David doesn't leave for the Skarloey Railway without us,' said Anne.

'He won't,' said George confidently. 'He seemed too nice a chap to let us down. Besides, I bet he and his family has been to the railway plenty of times, so it would do no good for them to go it alone.'

For a long time, the children said nothing as they strode through the fields, drinking in the beautiful scenery. It was so relaxing to view the countryside if you were in it rather than seeing it from the window of a train, bus or car! In no time at all, they joined the road that led to Edward's station, and from there, there was much less chance of losing themselves out of distraction.

It was as they were reaching the town of Wellsworth that they saw a bright red single-decker bus approaching them. The children weren't sure whether they expected it to be normal, but it didn't come as a big surprise as they saw that it had a face, just like the engines.

'Hello,' he called. 'I'm Bertie. You must be the children and dog Thomas told me about. You can ask him about his race with me if you like.' With that he sped on up the road.

'Whatever did he mean?' said Dick. 'A race? With Thomas? I wonder who won.'

They reached Edward's station and approached the ticket office. But before they got close, the man behind the desk said, 'You children don't have to buy tickets. You are here at Sir Topham's invitation, and don't even think of paying us or we'll set Daisy on you.'

The children were wondering if this was going to be the same for every station on Sodor, and who Daisy was, when they heard someone yell their names and they dashed as one onto the platform.

The first thing they saw was Alex, Lily and Charlie perched side by side on an enormous wicker luncheon basket, grinning broadly and waving at them. Then they saw David, Polly and Justin sitting next to each other on a bench near the main door, but all three leapt up with cries of greeting.

'We thought you'd never come!' shouted David joyously, thumping Julian and Dick on the back. 'But now that you're here, we can be ready for Edward!'

'Listen, here he comes now!' cried Justin as Edward's shrill whistle reached their ears, and the Five's excitement rose to fever pitch.

'Hello, children!' said Edward as he pulled in. 'Off to the Skarloey Railway, I see. Well, I hope you all have a marvellous time. And you will try not to cause any of the engines grief, will you?' This was mainly towards George, who could quite often let her short temper get the better of her. She could ignore people if she wanted to and, when she did, there was no knowing when she would stop. Most of the engines were beginning to think of her as a most unpredictable child!

'No, of course we won't give them a hard time,' promised Julian. 'We wouldn't dream of it.'

'What is the railway like?' asked Anne.

'Well, beautiful, for one thing,' said Edward. 'It does have quite a luscious lake. That's what Skarloey means – 'Lake in the Woods'. And it has quite a busy slate mine. Be warned! Those trucks may try and play sly tricks on those not used to them.'

'Whatever do you mean, Edward?' asked Dick. 'How can trucks play tricks on you?'

'They don't play tricks on people,' said Edward. 'But they do play tricks on us engines. We've had some rather unpleasant accidents over the years involving those pesky trucks! Fortunately, I have been on this railway for years and know all about trucks, so I can tell if they have something in mind.'

Alex, Lily and Charlie had scrambled off the hamper and looked beside themselves with impatience to be on their way. David, Polly and Justin hurried up, and all three of them managed to lift the hamper, each holding tightly to a strap fastened to the sides of the basket.

'Want a hand?' asked George. 'You might never get it on board, not with all of you holding it like that and with no one to open the train door!'

'Thank you, George,' said David. Dick flung open the door of the first compartment on the train and, with the help of Julian and Anne, they carried the hamper onto the train and set it down gently on the floor. Alex, Lily, Charlie, George and Timmy followed them on board and Alex closed the door again while Julian, Dick, Anne and George heaved their packs into the luggage rack. After about five minutes, the guard blew his whistle and, with a cheerful whistle, Edward began to move.

'A lake in the woods?' cried Dick happily. 'It's jolly lucky we remembered to put our swimming costumes on underneath our clothes before coming here!'

'We've got ours on too,' said Polly. 'One of the best things about these outings is planning ahead and making sure you have thought of everything.'

Everyone agreed, and Timmy barked appreciatively. The mongrel was sprawled on the seat next to George, eyeing the big hamper wistfully.

'It's certainly a nice day for a picnic,' said Alex, who was gazing past his big brother out of the window as Edward hauled his train along the Main Line. And indeed it was! The sky was as blue as Thomas' paintwork, the sun a disc of gold. Trees and grass glowed green from the lineside, and buttercups, daisies and daffodils seemed to wave to the children as the train sped onward. It felt as if all of nature had simply appeared just so that the children could see it for themselves! The best part was when they crossed an enormous viaduct, which offered a splendid aerial view of a road, a river and a small meadow awash with flowers.

'Oh, it's beautiful, it really is!' cried Anne blissfully.

'Indeed it is,' said Alex. 'Some tourists have said that, even if they have already seen and spoken to the engines, they tend to come back just to look at the island's natural wonder.'

'But this is nothing, Anne,' said Charlie. 'Wait till we get to the Skarloey!'

'One of Sodor's most beautiful landmarks, and ready for any amount of tourists,' said Lily.

This of course made the four children and Timmy excited all over again!

'What are the names of the engines on the railway?' asked George. 'You said that there's Skarloey, David. He's the engine the railway's named after. Is there anyone else?'

'Absolutely,' said David, stretching out lazily with his feet on the hamper. 'There's Rheneas, Skarloey's brother and closest friend. They were the first two engines on the Skarloey, and it was Rheneas who saved it from ruin by pulling a train home with a jammed valve gear.'

'Then there are Sir Handel and Peter Sam,' said Justin. 'Sir Handel used to be called Falcon, and Peter Sam Stuart, when they worked on a railway called the Mid Sodor. Peter Sam's a great chap, but Sir Handel can get jolly impatient at times.'

'Then there's Rusty,' said Polly. 'He's a diesel, and a real darling! And finally there's Duncan, who used to be as rebellious as could be, but now he's a great help.'

'And are there any attractions as well as the mine and lake?' asked Dick.

'Oh yes, there's the waterfall, for one,' said Alex. 'That's where Rheneas got his name, for it means 'Divided Waterfall'.'

'Then there's the road where Sir Handel had a race with George the Steamroller,' said Charlie.

'And the tunnel where Peter Sam lost his funnel,' said Lily.

'Good gracious!' cried Julian in alarm. 'He lost his _funnel_? Was the tunnel too low, or was the funnel too tall? It must have been an awful blow!'

'It's a long story,' said Polly. 'But the long and short of it is that now he has a new funnel that makes him steam better.'

'Does Sodor have any other railways?' asked Julian. 'Surely there aren't just two!'

'Oh yes it does,' said Justin. 'There's the Cudlee Fell Railway in the mountains, and the Arlesdale Miniature Railway, only just built, about ten miles from Tidmouth.'

'We'll take you there later,' said David. 'But we're here now, at the Works station. You lot get out first, we can take care of the basket.'

The children clambered awkwardly round the basket and out onto the platform, after first removing their bags from the rack. Timmy leapt out and began nosing around the platform, just to show how curious he was of this station. David and Justin yanked the hamper out through the door and onto the platform. The door slammed, Edward whistled and puffed away.

The Five gazed round. The Works station was a hive of activity. A big shed stood to one side on the station, with several engines inside and yet more waiting in the tiny yard outside. In front of the children, four steps led down to a platform right next to the main platform they were standing on. A small red saddle tank engine with six wheels was waiting in front of a train of coaches. He was grinning at the children, who could make out the name on his nameplate: 'SKARLOEY'.

'Hello there!' called the engine with a marvellous Welsh accent in his voice as the children came hurrying down the steps towards him, David and Justin dragging the basket. 'You must be Julian and Dick, and you're Anne and George, and this glorious dog is Timmy! Welcome to Sodor's very own narrow-gauge railway!'

'_Narrow-gauge!_' cried Dick. 'How truly smashing! We went on a narrow-gauge railway once, but that was years ago.'

'Did we?' said Anne. 'I don't remember a narrow-gauge railway at all.'

'You were just a baby, Anne,' said Julian. 'I remember it as the Talyllyn Railway in Wales. And I remember the most important engine – Talyllyn himself – for being as tough as an engine could be.'

'That's my brother,' said Skarloey happily. 'I suppose Dolgoch, Rheneas' brother, was there too.'

'Goodness!' cried Dick. 'First we hear Gordon's Flying Scotsman's brother, and now Talyllyn and Dolgoch have family on Sodor as well. But in answer to your question, Skarloey, yes, Dolgoch was there. In fact, he and Talyllyn are simply inseparable!'

'How did you know about us?' George asked Skarloey.

'Simple,' said the old engine with a smile. 'The Thin Controller – Mr Peter Sam – told us all about you, and he got the information from the Fat Controller, who told him that you, George, were the daughter of the famous Dr Kirrin. What I don't see is why he said you were his daughter, not his son.'

George simply grinned from ear to ear. This was just like with Thomas yesterday – first taking a fancy to her dog, and now assuming she was a boy!

'I suppose it was short-sightedness,' said Alex. 'This often happens with scientists. It goes with the territory, I suppose.'

'I see what you mean,' said a voice, and everyone looked round to see a tank engine with four wheels backing up alongside Skarloey. He too was painted red and spoke with a Welsh accent, so the children assumed, without even glancing at his nameplate, that he must be Rheneas.

'As a matter of fact, we heard about you even before we knew you were coming,' said Skarloey to Julian. 'A little girl used to come to the Talyllyn in her school holidays, and she told Talyllyn about four children and a dog who once came up to her home in the mountains of Wales. One of them, she said, took quite a fancy to her – a tall, strong and kind chap, she said.'

'Oh goodness!' cried Anne. 'Was her name Aily?'

'Yes it was,' said Rheneas. 'She said her friends were called Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy. She said that she had a pet lamb and dog named Fany and Dai, and she even had them with her. Her mother told Talyllyn she was rather a troublemaker.'

'She was right,' said Julian. 'Apparently, Aily skipped school and disobeyed her mother all the time. She was a great help and led us to a Bronwen Thomas, who was a prisoner in her own house.'

'Dr Kirrin did tell the Fat Controller you were an adventurous bunch,' said Skarloey. 'It seems that you always find mysteries you could solve easily, but are never afraid to ask for help.'

'I'm sorry, but we'll probably have time for a chat later,' said David. 'Come on. Let's get on the train before Skarloey leaves without us.'

'Come on, David,' said Skarloey, sounding quite offended. 'You've known all of us engines for thirteen years – and your parents longer still. When have any of us ever left without our friends?'

'Well, Peter Sam left without the refreshment lady once, remember?' said Justin.

'Yes, but that was just impatience,' said Rheneas. 'But you're right, David. You really should hurry up and not keep everyone waiting, especially with that big basket.'

That made the children run for Skarloey's coaches. The idea of letting a huge hamper of picnic food going to waste over small talk was too dreadful to think about! George and David carried the hamper between them into the front coach, where they set it on the floor once again. Five minutes passed. Then the whistle sounded, Skarloey tooted his squeaky little whistle and they set off.

The train followed a line out of the little yard, which contained three sheds, one of them double line and the other two single. A little red engine with a tall funnel was standing outside one of the sheds and whistled to Skarloey as he passed.

'That's Duncan,' said David. 'He must be awaiting repairs to something. I hope the Thin Controller's not thinking about cutting his funnel down. He threatened to do just that when Duncan got stuck in a tunnel shortly after his arrival. He tried to do "rock 'n' roll" and brought down the roof.'

'Gosh!' said Anne. 'Was he badly damaged?'

'Not really,' said Justin. 'But he was rather upset about it. "Tunnels should be tunnels and not rabbit holes," he said.'

Timmy, who was sitting proudly next to George, cocked an ear at the words 'rabbit holes' and whined with anticipation.

'Sorry, Tim, false alarm,' said David. 'I'm afraid the Skarloey Railway has no rabbits at all.'

'There _must_ be something here that satisfies Tim,' said George firmly. 'If not, I'm heading back. I know I can't be happy if Tim isn't, and of course, Tim can't be happy if I'm not.'

'We've only just cleared the station throat, George,' said Polly. 'Don't be picky.'

'Take a look, friends,' said Alex, spreading his arms theatrically. 'Behold – the Skarloey Railway!'

The children gazed past him – and what they saw made them gasp! The grass was a pure, perfect green. Trees – pine, oak, beech – stretched to the skies in their full colours. The landscape was so abundant with flowers that the fields looked full to bursting! The sky was a pure blue than the children had ever seen, and birds tweeted from branches and bushes.

'This is even nicer than the Main Line scenery!' cried Dick. 'No wonder the Skarloey Railway is such a popular attraction!'

'Fancy living on an island with live steam and diesel engines, and some of the best scenery in the British Isles!' said Julian enviously to David. 'You must be one of the luckiest families in Europe! I wish we lived on Sodor like you.'

'And have no more of your adventures?' said Alex slyly.

'Certainly not!' said George. 'They were all so fabulous!'

'I hope we don't have any adventures on Sodor,' said Anne. 'They're nice to remember, just not nice to be in.'

'What makes you think you can't have adventures on Sodor?' said Charlie. 'We love them as much as you do.'

'Not today, though,' said Lily. 'We're just having a day out for a picnic – and nothing else.'

There was a jolt and a strange grating sound as Skarloey passed over a set of points leading to one side and passing through a station called Cros-ny-Cuirn. The reason for this was given when a small, coal black diesel engine at the head of a fleet of coal trucks appeared outside the window and tooted to Skarloey.

'Hallo, Rusty!' yelled David through the window, waving hard. 'How's the goods routine?'

'Going easily, David!' shouted back the diesel. 'Hope your friends have fun seeing our line!'

'What a nice little diesel he is,' said Anne as David sat down. 'If only all diesels are like him.'

'Yes, it's just a great shame that is not the case,' said Justin. 'There was that dreadful shunting engine who came for a trial and told lies about Duck.'

'How awful!' said George. 'What did he say Duck did?'

'He said that he called Henry Old Square Wheels, James Rusty Red Scrap Iron and Gordon a Galloping Sausage,' said Polly with a small smile.

'But the Fat Controller didn't believe the diesel at all, did he?' said George, who, being an absolutely truthful girl, saw lying as a form of cowardice.

'Of course not,' said Alex scornfully. 'He always sees his engines as innocent until proven guilty. Besides, he's always been fond of all things Great Western. Dad says he trained in Swindon, which is where one of their workshops is.'

The train began slowing down and, looking up, the children saw they'd stopped at a station called Glennock. There was a brief flurry as people got on or off the train, and then Skarloey set off again.

'Have there been any more diesels besides BoCo and Rusty?' said Julian.

'Oh yes,' said Lily. 'There's Daisy the Diesel Railcar.'

'What's a diesel railcar?' asked Anne.

'It's like a cross between a diesel engine and a railway carriage,' said Charlie. 'Daisy works on Thomas' branch line, but when she first arrived, she proved to be quite stuck-up and lazy.'

'Lazy Daisy,' said Dick absently, and everyone laughed heartily. It did feel nice to have a good laugh over small things like other people's features. Then they passed through a tunnel and could hear the sound of rushing water up ahead.

'That's the waterfall,' said David. 'I should have mentioned that it's one of the best places on the railway. What do you think?'

The Five gazed in awe at the waterfall as they rumbled over the viaduct. The water tumbled over the side of the hill in a steady rush, sending up spray and creating a quivering rainbow at its foot. Timmy stared at it as well, quite entranced. It really was a lovely sight to see!

The train stopped at a station immediately after the waterfall. Several people crammed out and oohed and ahhed at the glorious waterfall behind them. The children peered through the window, for they felt they couldn't get enough of the natural wonder!

'We can walk back and take a good, long look at the waterfall before we head back,' said Justin as Skarloey moved off again. 'The station we need is only about a mile or two from here, so it isn't at all far to walk. I'll ask Skarloey if we can do that.'

It was then that the train rounded a bend and there, spread out on the left, was a big, perfectly blue lake, sparkling in the morning sun. Small boats were rocking to and fro on its glassy surface. Hills as tall as could be loomed up in the far distance on the horizon, and the lake was surrounded by trees on all sides, which sat on squat hills as if standing guard. The children were absorbed by its majesty! Never had they seen such a magnificent lake before! How they yearned for Skarloey to stop at the next station, so that they could get out and swim in that beautifully inviting water!

After a few minutes, the train slowed down and stopped at a station called Skarloey, which the children remembered to mean 'Lake in the Woods'. Anne and Dick, who were nearest the door, were the first out. They flung open the door and tumbled out onto the platform. George, Julian and David pushed the hamper out of the coach, and the other scrambled out after them.

'Buck up, for goodness sake, everyone!' cried Dick impatiently. 'If we carry on like this, we'll be tired out by the time we get down to the lake and then we won't be able to have a swim!'

'Oh you will, no fear,' chuckled Skarloey. 'Just follow that path down the hillside and you should be on the beach in no time. I have to go now – I have to reach the top station directly. But have a lovely time – take care of that delightful dog of yours, George – and try not to drown or overindulge.'

'Is drowning possible in that lake?' said Anne, looking doubtfully at the water as Skarloey left.

'That's almost impossible,' said David, still grasping the hamper. 'Skarloey was only joking, he's like that sometimes. Now, everyone come up and grab a bit of the hamper. That way, we can all get down the path at once, and no one will be left behind. Timmy can walk beside us.'

Everyone at once grasped the hamper and carried it on their shoulders down the step path to the small and surprisingly quiet beach at its end. Timmy gambolled round them like an overexcited rabbit, never once taking his eyes off that wickerwork treasure chest.

'He's as keen as we are!' said Julian. 'Good old Timmy! What _would_ we do without you? You're always there for us, and you make a brilliant companion!'

When they arrived on the beach, David guided them expertly to a small cove away from the crowds. There they set the basket down gently on the sands and stripped off their outer garments to reveal their swimming costumes, the Five removing their backpacks before changing.

'Right!' said David happily. 'Got your costumes ready, chaps? Smashing! Race you to the water! Ready – set – GO!'


	8. George Makes A Discovery

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends nor the Famous Five.

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT

_**George makes a discovery**_

The children sped in a body towards the water, yelling joyfully, with Timmy cantering after them. The water was blissfully cold against the warmth of the spring day, and the children swam, splashed and shouted happily. Justin, David, Julian, Dick and George held some sort of swimming gala, and the others watched with great interest, cheering lustily as David and George finished in a dead heat. It was so nice to have almost a whole lake all to themselves, after spending more than an hour in two rather stuffy passenger trains!

'This is the life!' said Dick as he practised a lazy backstroke. 'I never thought lakes could be as blissful as this! The people of Sodor have certainly thought of everything!'

'This scenery is all down to basic science,' said David. 'I suppose it's just luck that we have such a beautiful place to live, with such friendly and diligent engines running the railway so efficiently. Stop splashing me, Tim! You're so energetic you could cause a tidal wave if you aren't careful!'

'You must be one of the luckiest families in Britain to live somewhere so wonderful!' said Anne. 'I would love to live on Sodor one day.'

'It's just a knack, I guess,' said Justin. 'I mean, we do have smashing friends on Sodor, and now we've lived here all our lives, there's nowhere else we'd rather be.'

'We belong on Sodor, that's the truth,' said Polly. 'We always have done, and always will do. You lot might find your place here as well one day.'

The children swam vigorously, then ran back to the beach and lay down on the blanket of sand that was the beach. They rested there until they were completely dry, then dashed back into the water and splashed about and laughed for a second time. It was as they were running back to their spot once again that Julian happened to glance at his watch, and his jaw dropped.

'Gosh! Twelve thirty! Is anyone else as starving as me?'

'YES!' said Alex loudly. 'My tummy's rumbling so loud, I'm surprised I can hear myself speak! What's Mother packed for us today, David?'

David flopped onto the sand beside the hamper, panting slightly. Reaching out both hands like a conjuror, he slipped open the straps and flung back the lid. Everyone gazed into the hamper. Oh, what a blissful banquet for hungry children! Ham, tomato, egg and cheese sandwiches, fruit salad, hard-boiled eggs, lemonade, ginger beer, a big pork pie, an icing-lathered chocolate cake, a tin of assorted biscuits, an apple pie in a cardboard box, and, in pride of place, a small, golden-brown roast chicken! Seb and Sam had even thought to put in a full set of crockery and cutlery for each person, and these were fastened to the lid in adapted pockets.

'What a spread!' said George. 'I don't know what I'd like first. Does Sam pack this much every time you go on a picnic?'

'Normally half as much,' said Alex, who seemed just as overwhelmed as the Five. 'But then we have been a group of only six. Now we've got you four children and Tim – that makes eleven. So there should be enough for everyone!'

Everyone began unloading the hamper and setting the food out on a couple of blankets that had been rolled up and placed right at the bottom of the hamper. How lovely it all looked, laid out in the sun! They were just about to start when David glanced into the hamper and carefully took out a flat, rectangular object. It was some sort of parcel, wrapped in baking parchment. He laid it softly on a plate on the blanket and peeled off the top layer of paper to revel a dark, glassy slab of what had to be homemade toffee.

'One of Mum's specialities,' said David. 'We have never gone on a picnic without some of her treacle toffee!' He reached into the hamper again and this time his hand came out clutching a little silver hammer, monogrammed with the letters 'SF'. David seized this and, raising it on high, brought it smashing into the slab again and again, until the whole thing was in small shards.

Alex had picked up the second object, which was a small white envelope with 'Ice cream money' written on it in pencil. 'Ice cream often melts,' he explained. 'Especially on a day like this. But Mum makes sure we can still have ice cream by giving us money to buy some. I'm sure none of us would want to _drink_ ice cream.'

'David, your mother has thought of everything!' said Dick. 'Permission to visit a beautiful part of Sodor, a feast fit for a king – and now money for ice cream!'

'So what are we waiting for?' said Justin. 'Let the feast begin!'

Everyone helped themselves. The Five took some of everything, and George made sure that Timmy's plate was filled before starting her own dinner. Barely five seconds after she'd turned her back, Charlie exclaimed, 'Timmy, you greedy dog! That was jolly quick eating! George, he's eaten everything you've given him in just a few seconds!'

'No matter,' said Alex. 'We can give him the bones from the chicken when we've finished it. There should be enough meat on them to keep even Tim going for some time.'

It was glorious munching away in the sunshine! The sun gazed fondly down on the group, and the food was quite out of this world! The children couldn't have been happier than they were right then, stretched out on the sand, tucking into a delicious lunch and wondering what could possibly spoil their happiness right then!

Once the children had eaten as much as they could, Alex slit open the envelope from the basket and found its contents to be a brand-new ten shilling note.

'Ten shillings!' said Dick. 'That could buy about three ices each! Your mother is so kind – and such a brilliant cook! Now I know what it's like to be an armchair!'

'Everyone thinks she's marvellous,' said David airily. 'She makes first-rate Christmas cakes every December, and she and Father have made it a household rule that none of us should ever go hungry if we go on an outing. Now I suppose that we'd better get those ices before we forget.'

'I say, where are those men going?' said Anne suddenly, pointing at two men who were walking purposefully along the path that ran adjacent to the lake. One of them was short and rather skinny, the other tall and well-built, so seeing them together was a bit like watching a rabbit go for a walk with a hamster. As they watched, the men paused in front of what looked like an old, ramshackle shed, then went round to the back and disappeared from view.

'They're probably just out for a spot of fishing,' said Justin. 'The Skarloey does quite good fishing, and the boats could be owned by people wanting a good value for money. There's a boating house just round the lake there, it must have come from there – although it does look rather odd to see them walk side by side all the way.'

'Well, come on, we're all ready,' said Lily, hurrying after David up the steep path to the station. The others followed, without bothering to put their clothes back on. It was a hot afternoon and they would dry off quite quickly in the sun.

As they reached the platform, they saw Skarloey waiting with a down train. He had clearly come straight from the top station, and was sizzling happily as he waited for his passengers.

'Hello again, children,' he said. 'I can see you've had a great time at the lake.'

'Yes we have,' said Julian. 'This line is beautiful, Skarloey! You are so lucky to be living here! It really is a lovely place to be!'

'Oh, it is, it is!' said Skarloey joyously. 'I'm thrilled you think so! Well, I suppose you should wait for George and Timmy. Will they be joining you shortly?'

'Whatever do you mean?' said David in surprise. 'George is...' Then he broke off, for he'd just glanced round the group, and found that Skarloey was quite right! Neither George nor Timmy was there, yet all the children were sure they had seen them follow them up to the hillside path!

'You haven't had an argument, have you? George hasn't gone off in a huff with Timmy, has he?' asked Skarloey anxiously. He referred to George as a 'he' because he, like the other Skarloey engines, could not know that George was a girl.

'Of course not,' said Justin. 'You know us. We have never quarrelled in our lives.'

'Maybe you should go back to the beach and see if you can find him,' said Skarloey, just as the guard blew his whistle and he set off with his train. 'I can see someone swimming strongly, quite near that boathouse. You never know, it could well be him!'

The children turned and sped off back down the path to the beach. Dick pulled his binoculars from his bag and set them to his eyes. He gave a loud exclamation.

'I say, it _is_ George! And Timmy with her! Whatever are they doing trying to reach that boathouse?'

'Perhaps she wants to know the time,' said Polly jokingly.

'Well, I suppose there's nothing to do except sit and wait for her to come back,' said Anne. So they sat in a cluster in the shadow of some rocks, and waited.

George and Timmy were indeed swimming towards the boathouse. The reason for this was that George, who had been peering through her field glasses at the two men on the towpath, had seen the taller of the two glance briefly at a fob watch before he and the other man had vanished. Of course, she'd thought, there may be nothing to it at all, but it was worth a look.

But that wasn't the only reason that she had become suspicious. Five minutes before, George had got to her feet to follow the others up to the station and was just looking round to make sure Timmy was there. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a gleam of light a long way off. She looked up just in time to see it yet again. By squinting against the sun, she could make out a man, no taller than a matchstick, standing at the window of the old boathouse, clutching a pair of binoculars and scanning the banks of the Skarloey Lake.

The little girl was intrigued. 'Why would someone want to use binoculars if he's fishing?' she wondered. 'More to the point, why is there only him in that hut? Shouldn't he be with someone checking his boat for leaks?' She glanced at the others, already halfway up the path. If she hurried, she might catch them before they reached the station. But her curiosity was aroused – and her mind made up. And once her mind was made up, absolutely nothing would make her decide otherwise!

George glanced after the others, and decided that they would be sure to carry on without her if they noticed she was not with them. She scrambled onto the nearest rock and performed a magnificent dive into the clear blue water. She swam underwater for quite a way to make sure no one would spot her should someone on the deck of any of the boats happen to glance out across the lake. She only hoped that Timmy had seen her dive, guessed what his little mistress had in mind and followed her out!

When she came up for air a minute or two later, she stole a quick look over her shoulder and saw a V-shape heading directly after her. Looking more closely, she could make out Timmy's thick brown coat, and waited till he was level with her. Timmy stopped alongside George and looked up at her, sure that she would explain what was going on.

'There's something about that boathouse that does not look normal, Tim,' said George in a low voice, pointing towards the decrepit shack, which was now about a hundred yards away from them. 'There was a man on the jetty with a pair of binoculars, and who uses binoculars to fish? Somehow, I don't think he was trying to spot his catch of the day!'

'Woof!' said Tim, as well as he could whilst treading water. He understood that George was suspicious – though he wasn't sure why – so he too was suspicious.

George turned her attention to the boathouse again and resumed her swim, Timmy paddling gracefully in her wake. They were now almost directly underneath the hull of the nearest boat, and it was then that a few awful thoughts occurred to George! She had planned to climb up onto the staging inside the boathouse and have a good look round to see what was really happening, for she was sure that things were not as they seemed. But how was she going to climb onto the planking without being seen? And for that matter, how was she to get Timmy up there as well? Finally, and most importantly, George had only seen one man on the decking. But how could she possibly be sure that he was alone?

Her questions were answered very shortly. She noticed a stout, metal ladder reaching down from the decking towards her. Then, to her horror, she heard voices floating towards her! Three men were standing on the planking directly above her and Timmy, and they were talking in low tones! Making sure that she made very little sound, George swam under the planking so that she wouldn't be seen from above. Timmy followed, and the two of them strained their ears to catch what was being said.

'...Shipment expected at nine o'clock,' one of the men was saying. He had a deep, gruff voice that sent a chill even down George's spine. Looking up through the planking, she recognised both men from the towpath – the taller was the one speaking – and a third man whom she didn't recognise at all. 'It's coming to the northern tip, but if you ask me, the whole thing is a load of rubbish. It's too obvious. The doctor must know that. We must change the location or we'll be found out for sure.'

'We have no alternative, Mr Williams,' said the second man. His voice was as thin and nasal as his friend's was deep and curt. 'The harbour at the Big Station is far too obvious! It has to be from the Brendam Peninsula or our contacts may well ask for their money back. If we're at Brendam, we avoid both regular night trains – Gordon's evening Express and Henry's Flying Kipper. Anyhow, nothing much happens on Edward's branch line after dark.'

'Very well,' said the first man. 'The Brendam Peninsula it is. We have our own man in there already, so he can tell the doc all he needs to know. But it's extremely risky, and I'm warning you, Mr Taylor, if anything goes wrong, the doctor will use our legs for a walking frame.'

'We'd better tell the doc about the change of plan,' said the third man. 'I shall send the message. We can't afford to be found out, not when we're so close to scooping the bulk of the income!'

George had listened to all this in silence. She could not believe, even for a minute, that Dr Sebastian Francisco would use two men's legs for a walking frame, whatever the two men must think!

Then there was the rapping of shoes against woodwork, followed by the slam of a door. George knew the two men had left the landing stage and were even now moving to some other part of the hut. She whispered to Timmy, 'It's okay now, Tim. We'll go up and have a good look round the boathouse. Then we can head back to the beach and join the others.' Reaching under Timmy's belly, she hoisted him out of the water and balanced him carefully over her shoulder. Then, seizing the ladder with one hand and holding tightly onto Tim with the other, she began to climb up towards the decking, quiet as a mouse, but nimble as a monkey.

Cautiously, George peered over the edge of the jetty, and was relieved to find that there was no one in sight. She climbed onto the woodwork and set Timmy down, one hand on his collar to warn him not to make a sound. Together, they crept across the decking, wondering if they could control the water that constantly dripped off them, forming damp footprints on the wooden planks. If the men saw them, they would find out who had made them, and George and Timmy would be trapped!

Everything had to be taken one step at a time. George and Timmy stole across the landing stage, neither making a sound at all. As they neared the door, they could hear the soft murmur of conversation coming from the open window to one side. Both of them could hear every single word that was being said. They knew that the two men would not be concentrating on the decking outside.

George crouched down beneath the window and listened hard, trying to detect something other than lyrics. But there was nothing, except the whiff of stale tobacco that told her the men had lighted cigarettes. Then a crackle of radio static reached her ears, and she listened hard to see what followed.

'Powell to Williams. Units 3F and 1R ready for action,' said a tinny voice suddenly, making George start. She assumed it was coming from some sort of radio. 'Confirm all systems go for night shipment. What is your status? Over.'

'Williams to Powell,' said Mr Williams' voice. He was speaking quietly, but George's sharp ears missed not a single word. 'Everything under control at Skarloey. Nothing amiss whatsoever. Repeat status to doctor. Meeting you at Brendam at midnight. Over and out.'

George listened from outside. A shipment was being made to Brendam tonight, that much was obvious. But what on earth could be being delivered to the Brendam Peninsula? As she was thinking this, she heard more voices very close by. She had to know what they were saying.

Very, very quietly, George raised her head so that she could see through the window set into the door. Inside were a table, an assortment of chairs and a great map of Sodor pinned across the whole of the back wall. The chairs were all occupied by men she didn't recognise at all, but Mr Williams and Mr Taylor were standing at the front near the map. A bank of machinery stood against the opposite wall – five or six tall box-like items made of silver metal, each with a plastic tape turning slowly behind glass windows.

George turned her attention to the occupants of the room. Mr Williams was tall and thick-set, with black hair, a bushy beard and a pair of perfectly circular bronze-rimmed glasses. His partner, Mr Taylor, was small and skinny. His eyes were small and furtively darting around the storeroom. Looking past them, George noticed that the map had been marked with drawing pins, coloured black, white or grey, that stood out against the green and blue of the map canvas.

'It almost looks as though they are marking different objects at different positions on Sodor,' thought George to herself. 'Oh, how I wish I knew what each one was, and why they are important!' Then George caught sight of a radio transmitter lying on the table. That man must have used it to send the call, she concluded after scanning the room once more and finding no trace of a telephone.

'All right, men, listen up!' suddenly barked Mr Williams and all the men leaned forward to make sure they didn't miss anything. 'We have to make sure all units are ready for action over the course of the next two days. The shipment was originally meant to come to the harbour at the Big Station, but we've realised that it is too public and risky to be carried out. And so it will be coming to the Brendam Peninsula – at nine tonight! If anyone betrays us or doesn't turn up, I'm sure the doctor will hunt that person down and make him regret the day he was born!'

'Has the message been forwarded to the doc?' asked one man.

'Absolutely,' said Mr Taylor. 'Mr Williams sent the message out a few minutes ago on the radio, and it will be put through to the captain of the crafts as soon as possible. Is that clear with everyone?'

'Remember,' growled Mr Williams. 'This is a load of rubbish. There's no point crying over spilt milk. But we can take all this with us to the grave.'

George frowned. Rubbish, milk and graves! What did it all mean? Well, she certainly wasn't going to find the answer hiding in this boathouse.

The girl slowly lowered her head from the level of the window and turned to Tim. 'Did you hear that, Tim? A shipment's coming to Brendam tonight! We've just got to find to what it is and why it's important to them. But first we need to get back to the beach and tell the others. Come on, and don't make a sound, whatever you do!'

George and Timmy made to go, and then it happened! George's foot came down on a loose board, which uttered a terrible creak! She froze, but it was too late! The men had heard.

'Someone is out there!' she heard Mr Williams roar. There came a clatter of running feet and the storage room door was flung wide. George and Timmy found themselves staring at Mr Taylor!

'It's a boy!' shrieked Mr Taylor. 'He must have been lurking outside the door! He's heard everything! Quick, after him!'

George ran for the jetty, but realised with horror that Timmy was staying put and growling hard.

'Timmy! Come here!' cried George. 'We've got to get out of here! Timmy!'

By now, all the men who had been in the control room, counting Mr Williams and Mr Taylor, were running towards George and Timmy. George could see that she and Tim were greatly outnumbered, but she wasn't going to give up without a fight!

CRASH! The sound of splintering glass echoed through the boathouse, and it came from the storage room the men had just left. They looked at each other, then at Mr Williams. The man dashed back into the storeroom and stared first at the big stone lying on the floor amid a puddle of broken glass, then through the shattered window.

'It's another boy!' he bellowed. 'Get him! Don't let him get away!'

As the men charged out of the boathouse onto the towpath, George caught a brief glimpse of a slight, boyish figure running down the path like a deer. The lad was short with frizzy hair and grimy clothes. Of course, George was seeing him from the back, but she got the impression that she had seen him somewhere before. But where?

But questions could wait – for now, all she wanted was to return herself and Tim to the others before the men came back. She gestured to Timmy and took a perfect header from the edge of the jetty into the water. A second later, Timmy joined her. Together, they struck out for the beach.

As they went, George thought about what she and Tim had heard. A shipment was to come to the Brendam peninsula at nine o'clock that night. The two men, Mr Williams and Mr Taylor, were both involved. The question was, who exactly was in charge? And, more to the point, what was being delivered? She would have to put the question to the others and see what they thought.

It took about five minutes for George and Tim to reach dry land and, sure enough, the others were waiting for them, looking rather worried and bored. They looked up in relief as George and Timmy waded out of the water and came hurrying across the beach to join them.

'Where on earth have you been, George?' demanded Julian. 'We thought you would never turn up! Why did you and Tim suddenly run away from us like that?'

'We didn't run away,' said George as Tim walked off a few paces and shook himself. 'Wait till you hear what we've heard.' And she told them what she had heard from the two men, about the possible message Mr Williams had given to the men, and finished by describing how she and Tim had almost been caught, only to be saved by a boy throwing a stone through the boathouse window! The others listened in silence. Well! George and Tim had dared to enter a boathouse and listen to a group of men discuss a night shipment, and that they'd managed to get away with it! What brave things they were!

'I know it wasn't any of you who threw that stone,' finished George. 'The boy didn't look like any of you. I did think that I'd seen him somewhere before, but I can't imagine where.'

'Well, do you know what I think?' said David. 'I think you did very well, George, old fellow. Fancy swimming out to a boathouse and finding out about something that could very well be illegal – all because you saw one of the men use binoculars to fish! But what I also think is that this merits a few big ice creams! What do you think, chaps?'

'RATHER!' yelled everyone. Several big ice creams would most certainly go down a treat! And with Mrs Francisco paying for them, this wasn't a treat to be missed!

After they had hoisted the Franciscos' huge luncheon basket onto their shoulders once more, the children all hurried up the path to Lakeside station, and this time, David and Justin made sure to do a head count before they set off, just in case anyone else decided to swim out to a trawler out of suspicion. When they reached the platform, still carrying the hamper, two engines were standing there, each at the head of a passenger train. Like Skarloey, Rheneas and Duncan, both engines were painted bright red. One of them, the Five noticed, had a rather squashed funnel, almost as if it had been run over by a steamroller! The nameplate on this engine said 'Peter Sam' and the other engine's read 'Sir Handel'.

'Hello, children,' said the one called Peter Sam. 'I see Sam gave you all good things to eat!'

'She did indeed,' said Polly. 'We're just off for ice cream.'

'Mind it doesn't melt!' warned Sir Handel. 'If only these coaches were as nice as your mother, David! Then I wouldn't mind nearly so much about pulling them.'

'Pulling coaches needs patience and empathy,' said Peter Sam sagely. 'Take no notice of him, children. He's a good chap really, but can often get crabby. By the way, I take it your friends, David, are the children the Thin Controller spoke about.'

'Absolutely,' said Julian. 'It's very nice to meet both of you. But tell me again, why do you have a flat funnel? I read about it once before, but I can't remember the exact details.'

'This one steams better,' said Peter Sam. 'Much better than my original funnel! I 'lost' the old one, and got this instead. And a very good thing it did too. It makes my life a whole lot easier.'

'How long have you lived on the Skarloey?' asked George.

'Oh, a few years,' said Peter Sam. 'Sir Handel, our mentor Duke and I lived on the Mid-Sodor Railway. I was called Stuart and Sir Handel Falcon. But the line closed down and we were sold.'

'But not Duke,' said Dick. 'What a shame! Where is he now? Has he been bought too?'

'Sadly no,' said Sir Handel. 'No one wanted him – they said he was too old! We don't know what's happened. Maybe he's been sold as well – maybe he hasn't. We hope we will find out soon.'

'He was so good to us,' said Peter Sam mournfully. 'So brave and strong and wise. He even saved Sir Handel's life once, but now we don't know where he is, if he's even in one piece somewhere in the world or turned over to the scrap heap! We'd give our whistles to find answers to our questions about him, but I'm sure there's no hope...' His voice cracked, and he took a deep breath.

'There, there, I'm sure he'll be found,' said Sir Handel briskly. 'Well, enjoy yourselves, youngsters. Come again another day, please.'

The Five felt quite sorry for this Duke fellow, but they couldn't do much about it. The children thought that whereas Sir Handel might have little tolerance, Peter Sam certainly made a good friend. They said goodbye to the two and entered the refreshment shop only a few paces away. Once there, they ordered eleven ice creams, and sat down to eat them on the terrace at the rear, which overlooked the lake. Gosh, didn't it look gorgeous! And didn't the ice creams taste lovely!

'Having a nice time?' said the refreshment lady kindly. 'What have you seen besides this line?'

'Thomas and Edward's branch lines, and Tidmouth Station,' said Dick. 'Where are we going this afternoon, David? Do you know?'

David nodded. 'To a place called Cudlee Fell,' he replied. 'It's a mountain – the highest on Sodor – and its home to the Cudlee Fell Mountain Railway.'

'A mountain railway?' cried George, eyes shining. 'How thrilling! It seems that Sodor has every type of railway – standard gauge, narrow gauge and mountain!'

'And small railway,' added Justin.

'Oh goodness,' said Anne, who disliked heights intensely. 'Isn't the mountain railway steep?'

'Indeed it is,' said Justin. 'But the engines have smashing brakes!'

'And the railway itself is known as a rack railway,' said David. 'You'll find out why and what they are when we get there. I suggest we head off when we finish. We can walk up to Rheneas Station and get a train from there.'

'What about the basket?' asked Julian.

'We can get Jem Cole to take it back with Trevor on his way to Brendam,' said Polly. 'He's a great friend, and a real inspiration.'

'Well, I'm done,' said David, getting up. 'And Timmy's finished before we'd even started. Come on, everyone. If we don't hurry, we'll never get there!'

'Mind Peter Sam doesn't leave you behind!' called the refreshment lady as the children and Timmy hurried onto the platform. 'He can do that if he thinks he's pushed for time!'


	9. Up Culdee Fell

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends nor the Famous Five.

* * *

CHAPTER NINE

_**Up Culdee Fell**_

The children marched down the line towards Rheneas Station, the hamper balanced on their shoulders, Timmy prancing round their heels. The afternoon sun beat down on them, and birds twittered from the branches of every tree they passed. The Five thought it really was a wonderful place to be! They even wondered if Sodor had some sort of natural magic that managed to get every single tree, flower and landmark just right!

As they reached the station, they heard the sound of rushing water, which could only be coming from the waterfall. As soon as the others had set the hamper on the platform, Dick and Anne dashed onto the viaduct and gazed open-mouthed at the splendid edifice of water as it tumbled over the cliff face in an endless stream, and formed faint rainbows at its foot.

'Oh, it's lovely!' cried Anne, gazing dreamily at the waterfall.

'Smashing...' murmured Dick, who was almost in a trance. He jerked back to reality when a thin whistle reached their ears. 'What was that?' He and Anne hurried back to the station to find the others gathered round a ... what was it? The two children gazed in amazement at a small black steam engine with four wheels, two small and two large – parked on the roadway!

'Why, it's a _traction engine_!' cried Dick. 'And there was me thinking they're only in museums!'

'Certainly not!' said David with a laugh. 'Whatever gave you that idea, Dick? None of Sodor's engines would ever, _ever_, be put on display in some dirty, stuffy museum when they could be working fully! This is Sodor's one and only Trevor the Traction Engine, and his driver Jem Cole. Jem, Trevor, meet Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy.'

'Nice to meet you,' said Jem, touching his cap as he spoke. Then, to both Trevor and his driver's amazement, Tim slowly and deliberately raised his right paw and shook hands with Jem!

'Cogs!' exclaimed Trevor. 'However did he do _that_?'

'I taught him,' said George proudly. She felt so pleased to have Timmy appraised by a traction engine that she completely forgot the injustices flung her way by Gordon, Henry and James.

'Well, he certainly picked it up, quickly, didn't you Tim?' said Jem, patting Timmy companionably on the back. 'If I had a dog, I would jolly well want him to be like Tim.'

'He would certainly give the judges at any dog show a run for their money,' said Trevor, and George beamed at him. 'By the way, have you children got time for a ride?'

'A ride?' said Anne eagerly. 'Where? On what?'

'On me, of course,' said Trevor jocularly.

'A ride on a traction engine!' cried Julian. 'Wow! How marvellous! Can we, Mr Cole, please?'

'Please call me Jem, and yes, you most certainly _can_ have a ride,' said Jem. 'There are two things Trevor loves doing more than anything – sawing logs and giving children rides. Do you have time?'

'Sadly, no,' said Justin as they heard the shrill toot of a second whistle. 'That sounds like Peter Sam. We're just off to Cudlee Fell, but we can try and fix another time – tomorrow possibly.'

'Oh, do,' pleaded Trevor. 'I do so love children!'

Peter Sam pulled in at that moment, and the children climbed on board. Dick noticed that they'd forgotten the luncheon basket. When he pointed this out to David, the boy smiled. 'We gave it to Jem, just like I said. He's going to take it down to Crovan's Gate, and then Edward's going to take it home on his Brendam goods train.'

'That's good,' said Dick as Peter Sam tooted his whistle again and pulled out of the station. 'It would have been awful work lugging that thing all over Sodor. Besides, I'm so full, I don't think I could eat for another week!'

'Hear, hear!' chorused everyone, and Timmy barked dutifully.

The Five gazed out of the window on the return journey as well, but it was with slightly less enthusiasm because they now knew the wonders of this railway of natural beauty. They were not at all sure what the Culdee Fell Mountain Railway held in store for them, but they could be sure that, if the Skarloey Railway was anything to go by, its nature would be every bit as enviable!

Too soon, the children found themselves back at Crovan's Gate, with Skarloey waiting at the platform with an afternoon train. Perhaps the only surprise was that Duncan was in exactly the same position in the shed as he had been when the children had set off about a few hours ago. For a moment, Julian wondered if the Thin Controller had given him a day off, but that thought evaporated when he saw two workmen crouching next to his right-hand driving wheels.

'Anything wrong, Duncan?' called Justin as they left the train. 'You've been there all morning.'

'Just a broken cylinder,' called back Duncan. 'Nothing the faithful fitters at the Works can't fix. Hope your friends are having fun!'

The children hurried up the steps onto the standard gauge platform to find Duck waiting for them with a short passenger train. Before anyone could say anything, though, there came a deep, sonorous whistle and the thunder of many wheels on the rails. Then, as the children watched spellbound, Gordon thundered into view with the Express, going like a torpedo, streaked through the station without so much as slowing down, and rocketed into the distance!

'My word!' cried Dick, gazing after Gordon with reverence. 'That was amazing! I never knew an engine could go that fast!'

'What did you expect?' said Julian. 'Gordon's already told us he's Flying Scotsman's brother! Did you expect him to crawl through with a stopping train?'

'Ah, David, I take it these are the children who are staying here for the holidays?' said a voice, and the children turned to see a tall, thin man in a suit and bowler walking across the platform towards them. This had to be the Thin Controller. 'I trust you all had a great time on the Skarloey Railway.'

'Oh, yes!' said George joyfully. 'The railway is simple beautiful, sir! And the engines are so friendly, especially Skarloey and Rheneas!'

'You're too kind,' blushed Skarloey.

'I'm glad you think so,' said the Thin Controller appreciatively. And then, to the astonishment of everyone but the children, Timmy held out his right paw and shook hands with the Thin Controller.

'What a clever thing to do!' marvelled Duck. 'Did you teach him, George? He truly is a wonder!'

'Indeed he is,' said the Thin Controller, straightening up and smiling at George, who beamed back at him and Duck. 'It might interest you children to know that the railway has been in operation since the nineteenth century. Skarloey here used to be without a cab, but what with turning into a, ahem, bucking bronco, he was given a cab and two extra wheels.'

'Oh, was the Skarloey Railway built before the standard gauge?' asked Anne.

'As a matter of fact, it was,' replied the Thin Controller. 'This railway was mainly built for the transportation of copper and, later on, slate. Because of its rural scenes, it was also built to ferry sightseers to the lake and back. That's how far the main part of the line goes – an extra goods line extends to the incline railway.'

'Crovan's Gate Works are the best collection of workshops on the island,' put in Skarloey. 'I was brought there when I first arrived on Sodor. I came on a ship – not a nice journey I must say – and was brought straight here by an engine from the Sodor and Mainland Railway, which was the main railway operating on the island at the time.'

'Can we go and have a look inside the Works, sir?' asked Julian politely of the Thin Controller.

'You're perfectly welcome to visit the Works, Julian,' replied the Thin Controller. 'But for now, I rather think you have a mountain railway to tour. Duck's waiting, and he has a timetable to keep.'

'Of course!' said Dick, suddenly remembering the Great Western engine still standing at the platform. 'Come on, Julian. We don't want to waste time that we can spend on the mountain railway.'

The children bid farewell to the Thin Controller and crammed into the second coach of Duck's train. As the guard blew his whistle and the train pulled out of the station, they leaned out of the window and waved to Peter Sam, Duncan and Skarloey. The three engines tooted back and called out 'Goodbye! Come again soon!' In a few minutes, the railway was out of sight, and the children slumped into their seats, prepared for another long journey.

'Do you reckon we ought to catch forty winks?' suggested David. 'It's going to be a long journey and swimming can be quite tiring. I for one can hardly keep my eyes open.'

'Neither can I,' said Julian. 'Who thinks a snooze would be a good idea?'

The others murmured assent – a sleep did indeed sound nice after a few hours of swimming. So they all lay back, and soon the rhythmic movement of the train and an afternoon of swimming merged to allow them to drift off. At first, Tim stayed awake, for whenever his clan fell asleep, he could always consider himself to be on guard. However, he found himself nodding off as well, though his extremely sharp ears remained at radar point for the slightest noise that seemed out of the common.

The next thing George knew, the train was gently slowing down. She opened her eyes and looked out of the window to see that they had reached a small station with another railway running into it alongside them. But what was so interesting about this other railway was that it had three rails instead of two, the third of which was placed exactly between its fellows and resembled a coat zip.

'Wake up, everyone,' said David, opening his eyes. 'We're here, at the Culdee Fell Railway. Calm down, Tim – you'll damage the carriage if you carry on with that scratching!' He flung open the door, and Timmy positively fell out of the train in his excitement.

'Well, he seems to be right as rain, given that terrible wound "His Lordship" gave him,' said Alex.

George shivered at the cryptic mention of Lord Belvedere. 'Don't remind me,' she said sternly. 'I'm trying to forget it ever happened. And so is Tim. I can't forget it if I'm reminded about it.'

'Sorry,' said Alex. 'But you're right. It's better for us all to think it never actually happened.'

The children leapt out of the carriage and down to the platform where a strange-looking purple engine was waiting for them. The word 'Culdee' was printed on his nameplate, and a broad grin was spread across his face. He was coupled to an orange and white carriage coupled in front of him.

'Hello, children,' called the engine happily. 'Where might you be off to with that fine dog?'

'Culdee, we'd like to travel on your lovely railway,' said Polly, while George beamed at Culdee.

'But of course!' said the genial mountain engine. 'Everyone's welcome on any railway on the island, be it Sudrians or foreigners. Catherine's all set to go, aren't you, old girl?' The ding of a bell responded, and Anne and Dick giggled. 'Our manager's told us all about Sodor's newest guests. Is this your first time on Sodor, Julian?'

'Indeed it is,' said Julian. 'I must say, you're a jolly friendly engine – and you must be brave as well. I don't think I could brave hills like that if I were a mountain engine, even if it is a rack railway.'

'That is what makes the line so exciting,' said Charlie. 'A chance to find your courage.'

'Let's climb the line! Let's climb the line!' cried Anne, almost as excited as Tim. 'Oh, come on!'

'All right Anne, we're coming,' chuckled Dick, following her into Catherine the coach. 'Come on, everyone, what are we waiting for?'

They all boarded Catherine, who was soon full. Then Culdee whistled and they set off.

The line climbed quite steeply almost at once, then turned right and crossed the standard gauge line. Looking down, they saw Duck resuming his journey directly underneath them, and waved hard, hoping he would see them. A whistle came, but left the children unsure if he'd seen them or not.

'Look at the view!' cried Dick, pointing to their right. A cluster of rolling hills, intertwined with roads and railways, stretched as far as the eye could see. Each hill seemed to glow with its own light from the rays of the afternoon sun. Far away, the Five could make out the twinkle of the Irish Sea.

'It is remarkable, I'll grant you,' said Lily. 'What do you think?'

None of the children could speak – they were so overawed by the splendour of it all! Tim, as well, seemed to be entranced by the nature! However, the view was soon blocked off as they reached the other side of the bridge and began puffing through woodland. The Five contented themselves with gazing out of Catherine's front window, while the Franciscos just sat back and enjoyed the ride. Julian guessed that they'd all travelled on Sodor's railways – the North Western, the Skarloey, the Culdee Fell and the Arlesdale – so many times that they knew exactly what was coming next.

Soon, they reached a station called Shiloh, where a few people left Catherine. After that, they came in sight of a big lake – 'That's Poll-ny-Chrink,' said David – which they smoothly circled. Then the track turned sharply and crossed a road before pulling into Skarloey Road, where a few more people got out. As they set off again, the Five noticed that there were quite a number of people with bags and hiking staffs following a footpath that passed through the station and disappeared into the trees.

'Is climbing popular on the Culdee Fell?' George asked David. 'I would love to give it a try, if that's okay with you.'

'Climbing is most certainly common up here,' said David. 'People like a bit of mountaineering to put a bit of zest in life.'

'We can walk down if you like,' said Justin. 'All we do is get off at the Summit and tell Culdee.'

By now, the railway was nearing a station called Devil's Back, where almost everyone aside from the children and Timmy got off.

'Brace yourselves, chaps!' said David as they set off again. 'This is the best part of the ride!' They were no sooner clear of the station that the Five found out why!

'Oh, goodness!' gasped Dick, as the landscape suddenly fell away to reveal a canopy of nothingness. 'It's nothing but a sheer cliff on either side! If I didn't know we were on a train, I'd swear we were treading air!'

Indeed, the ledge they were puffing along was barely wider than the track itself! The wind whistled at Catherine's windows, and each gust threatened to buffet them off the ledge. Even Anne seemed to enjoy the excitement of it all.

'That's funny,' said Justin. 'Some people close their eyes during this bit. But if you want to have fun, that's fine with us.'

'We always like a bit of adventure,' said Dick. 'For some reason, we have never been short of them, no matter where we go. We'll tell you about some of them later when we've got the time.'

'Why can we not just have a nice, quiet holiday?' said Anne longingly. 'There's nothing worse than having an adventure sprung on you unawares!'

'Don't worry, Anne,' said David. 'There's always adventure to be had on Sodor. But if you do find one, you might have the sense to ignore it.'

'Well, I want an adventure, and that's final,' said George firmly. 'Life would be awfully boring if we had no adventures at all. Tim could do with one, too – couldn't you, Tim?'

'Woof!' said Tim, and wagged his tail eagerly. The coach rocked gently in response.

'Steady, Tim!' said Julian. 'Any more wagging and you could derail us! By the way, have there been any accidents up here, David? It does seem a perilous railway.'

'There have been a couple of incidents,' said David. 'I'll save their stories for the Summit. If I tell you now, you might not want to come on this railway again, they're so graphic.'

George resisted the temptation to tell David that nothing could possibly scare _them_! She guessed that the Franciscos had seen them take on Devil's Back without so much as flinching. To her disappointment, the train had reached Summit station before the children knew it. Reluctantly, the Five followed the Franciscos as they left Catherine and walked across the platform. They then climbed up on a huge rock beside the track and waited for the others to join them.

When all the children and Tim were sitting on the rock, they gazed across the ridge they had just come up. The line was perched on what looked like a flattened triangle of mountain, and it was hard to imagine an engine coming along there without getting dizzy! The ridge carried on for about a mile before entering fields, in which mountain goats grazed idly, and then twisting and turning out of sight.

'Gosh!' murmured George dreamily. 'It all looks quite intrepid! Have there only been a few accidents on this line, Culdee?'

'Well, only one very serious accident,' said Culdee. 'There was Godred, originally the railway's No. 1. He got dependent on his brakes, derailed right in front of me and rolled down the mountain.'

'Good gracious!' cried Julian in alarm. 'I bet it was a most terrible accident! What happened then?'

'He was damaged beyond repair,' said Culdee dispiritedly. 'So the workmen used his various parts to repair the other mountain engines.'

Dick gulped. The thought of a fully working engine being turned into a heap of spare parts was too awful to contemplate! Then he glanced back at Culdee, and nearly fell off the rock in astonishment!

'Look!' he cried. 'There's a face in Cudlee's bunker!'

'Don't be scared, Dick. I'm not possessed or anything like that,' laughed Culdee, as he reversed up to where they were sitting.

'I suppose you have two faces so you can see where you are going on the way down,' said Julian.

'Absolutely,' said Culdee as his driver fed the nozzle of the nearby water tower into his tank and swivelled the tap on. 'Brakes aren't enough, and it pays to be sure. Well, I suppose I'd better let you find a way down the mountain yourselves.'

'I thought you couldn't be the only engine on the line,' said Anne. 'Who else lives on this railway?'

'Well, let me see, there's Lord Harry, now called Patrick, then there's Ernie, Wilfred, Eric and Alaric,' said Culdee. 'They're all painted like me. If you are planning on trekking down the mountain, I suggest you keep your eyes open, for you might catch a sight of at least one of them. Well, I'd better get back to my train. I need to be off back down the line within the next fifteen minutes.'

'What I don't understand is why you lot didn't faint with surprise when you first met Thomas,' said Polly as Culdee returned to the station.

'Well, I suppose it's because we have seen so many unlikely things on our travels, we have learned to expect the unexpected,' said Julian. This was perfectly true. While on their adventures together, the Five had encountered smugglers, spies, common sneak thieves, peculiar mirages and kidnappers.

'What time is it?' asked Anne suddenly.

Dick looked at his watch. 'It's three thirty. Why do you...' Then he remembered. 'Gosh! A shipment to Brendam at nine tonight! Can we make it?'

'Easily,' said David. 'The walk is normally about two hours and, if we get the first train back, we'll be home in time for supper. Mother and Father did ask if you would join us again for supper, and then they have asked Bertie the Bus to take you back to your camp again.'

'That sounds brilliant!' said George. 'But how on earth can we persuade Bertie's driver to take us back some time after nine o'clock?'

'He and Bertie could stay up all night if he thought it would help his friends,' said Justin. 'Now come on, everyone, or we might not be in time to see what is really happening at Brendam.'


	10. An Unpleasant Meeting

Disclaimer: I own neither Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends nor the Famous Five.

* * *

CHAPTER TEN

_**An unpleasant meeting**_

The children slid off the boulder, yelled 'Goodbye!' to Culdee and Catherine, and followed David to the back of the station building. There, a path led steeply down the slope and presumably ended back at Kirk Machan. They set off as a pack, Timmy trying to get into the line if anyone slowed down.

At first, no one spoke, because it is tricky to do so when you are descending a very steep path, and being constantly harassed by a big mongrel that will _not_ calm down. But eventually Tim calmed down and trotted along at their heels as tame as a canary.

'How long have you all lived on Sodor?' asked Dick after a while, as they left Devil's Back behind them and entered the woodland they'd passed through on Cudlee's train.

'All our lives,' said David proudly, slackening his pace so they could talk easily. 'Father lived in London for a while until he went to college to study doctoring – and came out with a distinction! When he first came to Sodor, it took him time to get used to what it was like, but now he knows there's nowhere else he would rather be.'

'So how did he meet Mrs Francisco?' asked George.

'Well, once he'd trained to be a doctor, he got a job as a surgeon at Wellsworth Hospital, where Aunt Sam was working as a nurse,' said Justin. 'They had a little laugh together, but it was Edward who suggested courtship. And so they were married in the company of the Fat Controller's engines.'

'How lovely!' sighed Anne. 'Did they have a nice honeymoon?'

'They certainly did,' said Polly. 'A fortnight cruise to the Caribbean! And when they returned home, they received a really rousing welcome from all the engines!'

The Five gazed at the Franciscos with reverence. Fancy their parents having a marvellous wedding and returning to the friends they loved! Now they knew what made this family so very likeable – they always seemed to be cheerful and always stuck together!

Just then they reached a mountain stream that twisted and gurgled down from the hillside, and swept itself beneath the path and railway via short wooden bridges with fences on either side.

'Anyone for a game of pooh sticks?' asked Alex, suddenly stopping and grabbing an armful of twigs from beneath a spreading beech tree.

'Really?' cried George, who had never played the game before. 'Can Tim play? How's it done?'

'I should jolly well think Tim _can_ play,' said David, taking two sticks and passing one to the dog, who clamped it in his sharp teeth. 'The rules are that you all have sticks and you drop them into the water on this side of the bridge and the person whose stick is first to come through wins.'

Julian, Dick and Anne had played the game before when they had been to the Lake District with friends a few months ago, so they knew how to play. The children hurried onto the bridge and, once David had shouted 'Ready, steady, go!' they all dropped their sticks and hurried to the other side to see whose would be the first to appear. As they did so, there came a friendly toot from down the line and an engine in the Culdee Fell livery of purple with orange stripes appeared, pushing another coach.

'Hello, Patrick!' yelled David, waving hard. 'How's life treating you?'

'All's well, thank you, David!' called back the engine named Patrick. 'Hope your friends are having fun! Sorry, but I can't stop! See you around!'

'There's a nice old engine,' said Dick admiringly. 'I jolly well hope all the Mountain Engines are like him. George, it looks like you've won – there's your stick!'

'Rest assured that practically every engine on Sodor is kind and jolly,' said Justin. 'Aha! There's my stick, but I suppose George has already won.'

'I think we ought to have best of three,' said Julian. 'It'd be fairer that way. Tell you what, I'll just go up the path a little and see if I can find more distinctive sticks. Then we won't confuse our sticks.'

'Good idea,' said Polly. 'I'll just see if I can find any more sticks around here.'

Julian hurried up the path a little way, keeping his eyes on the ground. Then he suddenly stopped, listening hard. He could hear voices – and they were coming from a few yards round the corner.

'...too risky, I'm afraid, my lord.'

'I am telling you, Hamilton, this operation cannot fail! Everything has been thoroughly checked, from the staff involved right down to the method of execution. We have already started shipping the goods out to their various destinations, where they will stay until it is time for action.'

'It's Lord Belvedere!' thought the boy in horror. 'I hope he hasn't seen me yet!' Slowly, he raised his head. Thankfully, Belvedere and Hamilton weren't in sight. The path banked steeply to the right around a cluster of trees. The voices were coming from the other side, so the men were very close by!

'I've got to warn the others!' thought Julian. 'If they find George and Timmy, who knows what'll happen next!' He turned and sprinted down the path to where the others were grouped.

'That was quick!' said David. 'Did you get any sticks? What's the matter?'

'Belvedere's the matter!' panted Julian. 'He's coming down the path right now! I think that we should all hide, especially Timmy! If Belvedere finds him, he might hit him with that awful stick!'

'I'm not hiding,' said Dick firmly. 'If Belvedere finds just you, Julian, he might set on you there and then. But if I'm with you, there's a good chance he'll be forced to act jolly and sociable. So the rest of you can go and hide, but Julian and I can be there for when Belvedere reaches us.'

'Good idea, Dick,' said Julian. 'I think we ought to pretend that we're still playing pooh sticks so that Belvedere doesn't get suspicious. The rest of you can head down to that little thicket down there and, when Belvedere's gone, we'll whistle to say it's safe to come out.'

The others agreed and hid in the thicket. Julian gathered up some sticks and he and Dick stood on the bridge, deceptively still playing. They called out phrases such as 'Ready, set, GO!' 'I won, there's my stick!' and 'You idiot, that's MY stick!' Belvedere couldn't possibly guess that it was all fake!

The boys were so busy that they didn't hear Belvedere and Mr Hamilton come up behind them until they heard Belvedere say, 'Good afternoon, boys. A very pleasant one, too, is it not?'

Julian and Dick turned round. Belvedere was standing on the bridge behind them, and he was not alone. Another man stood next to him, and Julian guessed that this was Mr Hamilton. He was about Belvedere's height, but wiry, with a pair of pince-nez balanced on the tip of his long, thin nose.

'Indeed it is, my lord,' said Julian, keeping his voice casual. 'What brings you here, may I ask?'

'I just came up to admire the view,' replied His Lordship. 'May I introduce my colleague, Mr Hamilton?' He indicated the other man, who held out his hand with a simple 'Nice to meet you.'

'I am rather glad I ran into you,' said Belvedere. 'I just want to explain my behaviour at the Big Station yesterday morning. The fact is that I simply cannot stand dogs, or any other animal for that matter. I just want to give you boys a fair warning.'

'Do you now?' said Julian calmly. 'Well, kindly tell us what it is. We want to be on our way soon.'

'All right, then,' replied Belvedere, clearly caught off guard. 'I will not have animals trespass on my property, do you hear? Dogs are a fine nuisance, let me tell you. They are forever dirtying the carpet, tearing down the curtains and making unbearable barking. Sometimes I wonder if they were made to cause havoc! But after I had taken just one look at that snarling dog, Timmy as you call him, I knew that he was something else altogether! So I just want to tell you that I will not tolerate seeing your dog anywhere near me ever again! If it happens, I shall send for the police! Is that clear?'

'Why do you have such a thing for dogs, my lord?' demanded Dick. 'I mean, we love dogs as a rule and we've met people who hate them! But each dog hater gives a reason, so why do you?'

'I stand by what I said before,' said Belvedere severely, scowling at the two boys. 'Animals are generally unbearable! They are forever running after people when they are not trying to kill them! But for me dogs are the worst! They are terribly noisy and messy! Moreover, they have claws and teeth that would put a sabre-toothed tiger to shame! You are not to allow that dog anywhere near me again! If that happens, I may well throw a stone at it! If I am in a bad mood, I might try and poison it!'

'Very well, my lord,' said Dick. 'We'll see to it that you'll never have to see Timmy again.'

'What were you talking about just now as you came down the path?' asked Julian guilelessly, feeling a good bit of satisfaction when Mr Hamilton winced. Dick and Belvedere stared at Julian, for neither of them knew that he had heard a few words of the two men's exchange.

'That is none of your business, young Julian!' snapped Belvedere. 'And I think I ought to tell you that curiosity is not something anyone would want to have on an island like this! It can lead to some unpleasant dilemmas, so if I were you, I would keep my nose out of other people's affairs! Got me?'

'Absolutely, sir,' said Julian politely. 'You need have no worry. We will make especially sure you do not have to see Tim all the time we're here.'

'You must accept His Lordship's temper,' said Mr Hamilton in a distinct brogue. 'He is under a great deal of undue pressure at the moment, which makes him bad-tempered.'

'Be that as it may, I am a patient man, but even I have my limits,' replied Belvedere. 'I know both you boys are polite and even-tempered, not like that dreadful boy who shouted at me when I taught that horrible dog a thing or two. If he shouts at me like that again, I will be informing the Fat Controller and having him sent straight back home.'

'We'll make sure that doesn't happen either,' promised Dick.

'Yes, you most certainly will!' agreed Belvedere forcefully. 'If not, I could very well have all four of you children sent back to where you came from! I will not have pesky animals or even peskier children strolling round Sodor as if they own the place, or worse still trespassing on my most private property!' Dick and Julian exchanged uncomfortable looks.

Right at that moment, something most extraordinary and frightening happened! A voice suddenly echoed over the slopes of the Culdee Fell Mountain! Julian and Dick looked wildly round them to find its source, but they couldn't! When they stopped and listened, they could make out what the voice was saying. It was wailing, in a high, miserable tone, the words 'Take me! Take me! Take me!' over and over again. The echoes rose and fell in pitch as though they were coming through an ancient radio.

'What's that noise?' exclaimed Julian, determined not to give Belvedere and Mr Hamilton the impression that he was scared.

'Ah, that would be the late Mr Gerald Reaper calling to us from the grave,' said Belvedere, neither he nor Mr Hamilton in any way disturbed by the dreadful, eerie wailing! 'He is the latest victim this treacherous mountain has claimed. And, if you boys are not careful, you could be next!'

'We're not scared,' stated Julian a little scornfully. 'Not of the wailing, and not of you, Lord Belvedere. So if I were you, I'd be getting off down the mountain before anything else happens!'

Belvedere pursed his lips, but said nothing.

'I can see you have a great responsibility, Julian,' said Mr Hamilton. 'You won't let anything bad happen to you or your brethren. That is good, but I suggest you be careful as of now, or else.'

Dick turned to Belvedere. 'What did you mean by "calling from the grave", my lord?'

'I mean, Dick, that there once was a man who was a friend of mine and Lady Belvedere's, but regrettably he perished on the slopes of Culdee Fell,' said Belvedere. 'As I recall, he simply fell to his death from the line's summit. Anyone on the island will be sure to confirm that. Come, Hamilton – we must leave for we have great work to do. Now away with you two boys, and think about what I said.'

'We're not going anywhere,' said Julian, sounding very grown-up indeed. 'You shouldn't order us around, Belvedere. We're quite up to making our own decisions without any grown-ups trying to do it for us. Fancy trying to scare us with empty threats! By the way, why is your wife not with you?'

Belvedere looked disillusioned for a split second, but recovered. 'For your information, she is at Bosworth Manor, for we have business to attend to.'

'We have business too,' said Dick the supporter. 'But I bet that it's not as unpleasant as yours, Belvedere! We were having a perfectly happy time before we met you. Now if you don't mind, we are trying to play pooh sticks, and we can't do that if you both come throwing yourselves around!'

Belvedere sputtered inarticulately at Dick and Julian's nerve, but he knew that he was outclassed.

'It was very nice to meet you both,' said Mr Hamilton as Belvedere turned and marched off down the path. 'Take care of yourselves, both of you.' Then he jogged off down the path after his boss.

Dick waited until the two men had gone before whistling softly towards the thicket. The others arose from among the branches and joined Dick and Julian on the bridge. The voice was still echoing across the mountain slopes, so many of them were looking quite scared. From the look of utter fury on some of their faces – George's especially – Dick and Julian guessed that they had heard every word!

'The _nerve_ of him!' cried George in fury. 'Just wait till I see him again! How dare he mock Timmy and threaten us all! I'll pay him out for this, you see if I don't!'

'Calm down!' ordered Julian, grabbing George's arm. 'Do you want to draw attention to yourself?'

'What did Belvedere mean by what he said about that voice?' said Anne, stammering a little as her ears picked up the pitiful moaning all round them. 'It sounds like a ghost.'

'There are no such things as ghosts, Anne,' said David, clenching and unclenching his fists. 'But that Belvedere! He has no right being here! Sodor was a perfectly happy place until _he_ came along!'

'Wait a minute,' said Julian. 'We can't just go running after Belvedere. It won't do anyone any good! I suggest we go down at a more leisurely pace to allow those men an easy head start.'

'Well, anything to forget what he said about us,' growled Alex as they set off once more.

'What is this voice, anyway?' asked George as they went. The voice was now slowly fading into nothing, but the words still bounced round the slopes of the mountain.

'Well, this might not be the best place to tell you because we're walking down the mountain,' said David. 'Tell you what, on the way back to the House, we'll make a detour to Wellsworth and let Edward tell the tale. Besides, he knows more about what happened than we do.'

This sounded a grand thought for the Five, so they chatted casually all the way down the mountain. Soon, they reached the station at the bottom of the Culdee Fell Railway and found its bus stop.

'Where do we go from here?' asked Dick.

'We'll catch Bertie's bus service to Wellsworth,' said David. 'We should be back in time for tea.'

This reminded the children that they hadn't eaten for several hours, and the climb down Culdee Fell had been far from relaxing. So when Bertie arrived a few minutes later, the children scrambled aboard and took seats right at the back. Then Bertie set off down the hill, through Kirk Machan and then down a long, straight road beside a river, leading to Suddery.

The best part of the trip back was undoubtedly when they approached and sped beneath the viaduct they had traversed earlier that day. Even from the railway, it was still quite remarkable!

'That is one of the most amazing bridges I've ever seen,' said Anne, gazing up at it in awe.

'Absolutely,' said David. 'Surprisingly, there have never been any bad accidents on that bridge. Except when Gordon lost his dome! It flew right off his boiler!'

'Oughtn't it to have worked itself loose?' asked Dick with interest.

'Yes it did,' said Justin. 'He was trying to beat a hundred miles an hour, as achieved by City of Truro, a Great Western Railway domeless engine.'

George and Julian exchanged grins. Something like that happening to an Express engine was very hard indeed to contemplate with a straight face!

Before long, Bertie pulled into the car park at Wellsworth station, and the children scrambled out and hurried onto the platform so that they could see any of their friends.

'Oh look!' cried Dick, pointing across the yard. 'There's Edward! Hi! Edward! We've had a simply lovely time! Sodor is such a smashing place to be!'


	11. Edward's Dark Tale

CHAPTER ELEVEN

_**Edward's dark tale**_

Edward looked up as he heard Dick's shout and his face broke into a beaming smile as he saw his friends tear across the yard towards him.

'Hello, children!' he cried as they all crowded up. 'I'm glad you've all had such a good time!'

'Edward, the strangest thing happened while we were up at Culdee Fell!' said Julian breathlessly. 'Dick and I met Lord Belvedere and his colleague Mr Hamilton! And as we were talking, this awful wailing voice came echoing over the mountain, saying "Take me! Take me!" again and again! What is the explanation for such a queer thing happening?'

'Ah, yes,' said Edward, suddenly looking very serious. 'That begs a rather horrid story. But knowing you children, nasty tales do not bother you in the least. So I trust you would like to hear it.'

'We certainly would,' said Julian. The Five at once crowded round the old engine as he cleared his throat and began his tale.

'Many months ago,' began Edward, 'a tragic accident occurred. I remember those days clearly. Long before the Arlesdale came into being, soon after Culdee returned from being mended. I had been told that I, Bill and Ben needed help on my branch line, and that a diesel would be coming to my yard on trial. The diesel, of course, was BoCo, but at the time, I only knew his class.

'In those days, there was a young man who worked as a caretaker at this station. He never made very many friends, because he was quite sharp-tongued and boorish. More than that, he wasn't particularly nice to look at. I always remember him wearing dungarees, slouching around the platform with a mop in one hand and a bucket in the other.'

'What was his name?' asked George.

'Gerald Reaper,' said Edward. 'He was short and round, with gingery hair, large ears and a squint. He was forever lumbering round the station. People often kept their distance from him whenever he came onto the platform.'

'He doesn't sound at all pleasant,' said Anne with a shudder.

'He wasn't,' said Edward grimly. 'He had a rather husky voice too, brought about by chain smoking. He started smoking when he was twelve, and as far as we know, he never gave up. I have to say, nobody really liked him. Eventually, he resigned from his current job. He told anyone who asked that he wanted something more out of the way, with less people and more room to breathe. So he went off and for a few months after that, he made quite a vast sum out of selling artillery. Genuine wartime weapons, too! Top class guns and knives that were old favourites with every security force in the world, ranging from the army to the air cadets!'

'He sold guns and knives!' cried Dick. 'Gosh! I wish I could have bought something from him!'

'Come off it, Dick!' said Polly in alarm. 'Whatever would you do with a gun or a knife if you had one? You'd need a special licence for both, and anyway they kill people!'

Julian held up his hand for silence. 'Stop arguing, you two. I'm sorry, Edward. Please continue.'

'Well, Mr Reaper's business went awfully well, until his butler tipped him off that the police were getting suspicious,' said Edward. 'Apparently, one of Mr Reaper's best customers, an old man who had once been a most effective general with the commandos, recognised the gun he'd bought from his time in the army and realised that it had somehow been stolen. Anyway, the police started asking questions, such as why Mr Reaper was always so tired during the day, why his weapons never looked very worthy, and the meaning of the peculiar business involving strange ships arriving at the harbour at the Big Station by the sea.

'Of course the police investigated the matter – that's what they do – and they managed to find something rather astonishing. This might be hard to believe, but it turned out that Mr Reaper had been smuggling stolen goods from America in ships disguised as coal barges! He also used planes that were painted and flagged to look like they came from the Royal Navy!'

'That isn't at all hard to believe,' said Julian. 'We have crossed paths with any amount of smugglers. That's probably why we took the sight of Thomas so well! We saw him, and we had seen so many incredible things before that we no longer had it in us to be surprised!'

'I see what you mean, Julian,' said Edward with a smile. 'Anyway, the police gave Mr Reaper another chance. Either he could clear up the smuggling ring entirely and forever, or face a life sentence in Wormwood Scrubs. Of course, by that time, Mr Reaper was not at all sure what to do. If he closed doors to the smuggling kerfuffle, he would lose everything – his home, his possessions and his life on Sodor! On the other hand, anything was better than jail!'

'So what did he do?' asked Dick. His voice had sunk to barely a whisper. He, Julian, George, Anne and Timmy were gazing at their elderly friend in awe.

'Well, he decided to do something that would make sure no one could get to him,' said Edward. 'He came up to Culdee Fell on the first train of the day, and then up on Patrick's morning passenger run. Nobody looked twice because they all thought he was, like them, either going up for the view or for a spot of hillwalking, both of which are quite common with the Culdee Fell passengers.

'But Mr Reaper had nothing of the sort in mind. He had locked up his house in Tidmouth, and made sure that his things would be of some value to be sold. Then he got off Patrick's train at Summit station and stood on the centre of the line that runs along Devil's Back. Then he spread his arms wide, yelled "TAKE ME!" – and jumped off the ridge!'

'He didn't!' cried Julian in a voice of horror. 'It must have been a three-hundred feet drop! Surely he didn't do that, Edward! He couldn't have just killed himself!'

'Oh yes he did,' said Edward sadly. 'And I think it was rather more than three hundred feet. You see, he'd decided that, on the whole, death was more preferable than jail and losing everything he held dear. The newspapers say that he tumbled the whole height of the mountain, breaking his neck, arms and legs, in that order, on the way down. His body was never found, but some of the Culdee Fell engines, namely Wilfred and Ernest, say that, whenever the wind blows across Devil's Back, you can still hear Mr Reaper's final words. What you've told me now is sheer proof of that, at any rate!'

There was a long silence, while the Five absorbed all this. A man killing himself on Culdee Fell, weeks after being given a warning from the police! How simply awful!

'Did Mr Reaper have any friends at all?' asked George at last. 'We think everyone should have at least _one_ friend, even if he does turn out dreadful!'

'Oh, he did, actually,' said Edward. 'He had one single, solitary friend, of much the same personality as him. And guess who it was?'

'Lord Belvedere!' said Dick at once, and George flinched.

'The very same,' said Edward grimly. 'Apparently, he met Mr Reaper when he was in at the police station for questioning, and it was he who ordered the police to give the other man a second chance. But Mr Reaper thought His Lordship was just buying him time, and that was one of the reasons why he jumped off Devil's Back.'

'Did Dr Francisco know him as well?' asked Anne.

'Of course,' said Edward. 'Seb and Sam know everyone on Sodor, and everyone knows them. Seb and Mr Reaper disliked each other on sight, but never really spoke to each other. I'm not entirely sure Dr Francisco was sorry to hear that Mr Reaper had committed suicide.'

'Did Mr Reaper have any family?' asked George.

'No, I'm afraid not,' said Edward. 'He had been a bachelor all his life, and both his parents died several years before he went into smuggling. Neither Lord nor Lady Belvedere has any parents either. All they've got is each other, and a small tribe of servants whom they often bully. Why, only last week, he berated the housemaid just because she hadn't made his bed!'

'Where do the Belvederes live?' asked Julian, unwisely ignoring George who was glaring at him as if he were Lord Belvedere himself.

'At a huge place called Bosworth Manor, not too far from here,' said Edward. 'You probably saw it from my train. It's got everything a lord could want – suits of armour, iron fences, and ancestral treasures in every room. I've never been there myself, but Belvedere often boasted about his riches when he first came here about six months ago. Seb hates his tastes, since he thinks they're insensitive and downright proud.'

'Can we talk about something else, please?' said Julian, for George was now looking as if she would dearly like to hurl a stone at whoever mentioned Lord Belvedere's name again, in her presence or indeed out of it. 'George has become a high explosive, and we are the fuse!'

'So you've been on rather a lot of adventures,' said Charlie brightly. 'What kind of adventures have you had?'

'Please tell us,' pleaded Lily. 'We'd love to hear.'

So, for about an hour, the Five recounted all their previous adventures to Edward and the Franciscos, starting with the first time Julian, Dick and Anne had met George and Timmy, and carrying on all the way up to the theft of valuable papers from Professor Hayling. The list was a long one, and it offered the children something to take their minds off the horrible death on the mountainside, and the callous Belvederes. In fact, they almost forgot where they were until Edward happened to glance at the station clock and gave a loud exclamation.

'I say, you fellows! It's almost six o'clock! You'd better all be getting off home with you, or Seb and Sam will be wondering where you've all got to!'

'Gosh!' exclaimed David. 'Come on, everyone. Let's be getting home! We don't want to be late! See you tomorrow, Edward.'

'Thank you for telling us your story,' said George. 'You're a very good friend indeed.'

'I couldn't agree more,' said Dick. 'You're a brilliant storyteller, Edward. We're so fortunate to have you for a friend.'

'Don't mention it, Dick,' said Edward. 'But now I have a goods train to take and then an evening passenger run at half past six. So goodnight, children, and see you tomorrow.'

'Come on,' said Alex, leading the way across the yard. 'Mother and Father will be waiting for us, I'll be bound. And so will our supper. I'm starving, aren't you?'

'I'll say,' said George. 'But if we are going to try and find out about what's happening at nine, how are we going to get back to our camp?'

'You won't have to,' said Charlie. 'I forgot to say this, but Aunt Sam has invited you all to stay the night at Francisco House. She's got a couple of empty box rooms ready and waiting.'

'I say!' cried Julian. 'That is _most_ generous of her! But what about our tents? What do we do about them?'

'Don't worry,' said Lily. 'Your camp isn't at all far from Thomas' branch line, and Thomas says he will have it watched all through the night.'

'Well, that's that sorted,' said Alex eagerly. 'Come on! We'll need to eat if we're going to catch this night shipment, won't we?'


	12. A Perfect Evening

CHAPTER TWELVE

_**A perfect evening**_

As the children hurried across the field towards the house, the door opened and Dr Sebastian Francisco appeared, dressed in a red knitted jersey and jeans, smoking a pipe and looking completely relaxed. The Five couldn't help but like Seb. He was a highly intelligent surgeon, and brave as a lion, yet he always seemed to just let events take their toll, and he never lost his temper. To the children's mind – and especially George's – anyone who lost their temper regularly was not someone who would have many friends. Anyone with a bad temper should also be treated with caution, especially if they disliked dogs!

'Ah, there you are!' said Seb, removing his pipe from his mouth as the children came running across the field. 'We were just wondering where on earth you'd all got to. Anyway, come away in with you. Supper's ready, and Sam and I are longing to hear how your day has been!'

The children entered the brightly lit hall. They dumped their backpacks near the front door and followed Seb into the kitchen, where Samantha Francisco was putting the finishing touches to the heavily laden table. She was as pleased to see the children as her husband.

'Oh, there you all are!' she said, looking up and beaming. 'So good to have you with us again! And don't any of you worry about your camp. You're to stay with us tonight, and return to the camp tomorrow.'

'Well, that's most awfully decent of you, Mrs Francisco – oh, I mean Sam,' said Julian. 'And so is inviting us to have dinner a second time. Thank you so much!'

'Our pleasure,' said Sam as everyone, even Timmy, took their places at the table. 'So tell us, children. How _was_ your day?'

'It was amazing!' cried Anne rapturously. 'More than that, it was like a dream!'

'So you visited Culdee Fell and the Skarloey Railway,' said Seb, spooning boiled potatoes onto everyone's plates. 'Skarloey and Rheneas are so hospitable, and their line is so beautiful!'

'I know,' said Julian as everyone tucked in. 'You are so lucky to live on such a beautiful island! I jolly well wish we lived on Sodor!'

'I don't,' said George stoutly. 'Although I do think Sodor is a lovely place to live, wild horses wouldn't keep me away from Kirrin and its island! _My_ island, I should say!'

'How can an island possibly belong to you?' demanded Alex, his knife and fork poised over a slice of meat pie. 'Did you sign a contract for it, or is it your island in your imagination?'

'Neither,' said Dick, sticking up for an indignant George. 'It belongs to our Aunt Fanny – George's mother – but she didn't want it, so she gave it to George. Shortly after we met her for the first time, she agreed to share it with us three as well and of course Timmy! Kirrin Island's a wonderful place to be! It has a ruined castle on it, complete with dungeons and secret passages, and possibly the tamest rabbits in the world! And oh, the adventures we've had there!'

'That sounds amazing!' said David enviously. 'I wish I could come and see your lovely island.'

'You certainly can if you're near Kirrin and we're around,' said George. 'Normally, I don't allow people to do that unless I say so, but seeing as you're very nice people, I think I can make an exception. But _only_ if you don't let _anyone else_ come!'

'DEAL!' yelled all six Francisco children at once. Everyone laughed, and then concentrated on their supper. The food was as excellent as yesterday's, and the Five told Seb and Sam that. The children had always marvelled at the way that exercise or excitement always gave you a big appetite, but Julian assumed it was all down to energy – something that Dick understood perfectly, but that left George and Anne cold.

'All right, children,' said Seb, once everyone had eaten as much as they could take on board. 'Now that you have the rest of the evening for leisure, what would you like to do? Visit Florence and Fred, or be shown round the house?'

'Look round the house,' said Julian at once. 'We have already seen Florence and Fred, but we have never seen the inside of your glorious house. Please do let us have a look round.'

'As you wish,' said Sam. 'David, if you will...'

'Come on, you lot,' said David, getting up. 'Allow me to give you the grand tour.'

The Five leapt up and hurried after David. First of all, he showed them into a large sitting room with ornate windows, crimson sofas and armchairs, a sprawling Persian rug and a great big marble fireplace. After that, they were taken to each of the Franciscos' bedrooms – all of which had pristine beds and windows giving a brilliant view of the sea and surrounding fields. Then into two huge bathrooms – one for boys and one for girls, said David – and finally, into two spacious box rooms with bunk beds and views over the fields with Edward's branch line visible in the distance.

'I say!' said Dick in an awestruck voice as they made their way back downstairs. 'You have a simply beautiful house, David! But how can you still act casual around others with all this comfort? Most people with this wealth would go round rubbing it in other people's faces. Why don't you?'

'Two reasons,' said David, leading the way into the lounge, where the butler, Noah, was kindling the fire. 'Firstly, we – unlike _some people_ – are not snobs, and only snobs go round telling people how rich they are. Secondly, boasting is one of the least helpful and most irritating things someone can do if they want to lead a happy life.'

'But how can you afford all this?' asked Anne as they sank into sofas and armchairs. 'The hospital must charge an awful lot for its operations.'

'It's not quite like that,' said Alex as he and the others came in and sat down as well. 'Remember, Father's a high placed surgeon. The higher a worker's ranking, the more money they earn in a month.'

Seb went up to Noah, who had created a big roaring fire and was now sliding the fireguard into place. He laid a hand on his servant's shoulder and muttered a few words to him in Spanish. Noah grunted something in reply, straightened up and left the room.

'I've just asked him to brew us up some cocoa,' said Seb, taking his place between his wife and eldest son on one of the sofas. 'It's going to be a cold night, even though it's spring.'

'Well, thank you so much for all your kindness,' said George. 'If only there was some way to repay you, we would gladly do so.'

'There's no need,' said Justin. 'Uncle Seb is always looking to give friends of ours to take care of in some way.'

Something that had been bothering Julian since they'd been shown the upstairs rooms now gave his memory a sharp nudge. 'Seb, why do you only have four bedrooms when there are eight of you if Justin and Charlie come to stay?'

'It helps to keep us all together,' said Seb. 'David and Alex sleep in one room, Polly and Lily in a second, Justin and Charlie in a third and me and Sam in the fourth. It all helps us stay together and appreciate one another. As to your question about Justin and Charlie, they always used to come up here from their home in Dorset in the holidays, but now they actually live here. You see, their parents – my brother and his wife – were involved in an awful car crash when Justin was eight and Charlie was six and died in hospital shortly afterwards. I won't go into great detail, it's too horrid to picture!'

'I'm sorry,' said Julian, more to Justin and Charlie, for both Seb's nephews were looking quite doleful. 'A few friends we've made have no parents of their own. I understand how you must feel.'

The silence that followed was broken by Noah's return. The butler was now staggering slightly under the weight of a tray bearing ten steaming mugs and one steaming bowl. He handed Seb, Sam and the children a mug each and set the bowl down on the floor before Timmy, with a tea towel underneath so that Timmy wouldn't spill cocoa on the carpet. Once Seb had muttered 'Gracias, Noah', the butler bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him.

'Don't mind him,' said Seb as everyone sipped their cocoa. 'He's a man of few words and he hardly speaks any English. But he's as loyal as a dog – and certainly as loyal as this grand dog seems to be.' He indicated Tim, who was now lapping eagerly at his bowl of cocoa. 'Now then, Tim, remember your manners this time.'

'This is a gorgeous house you've got!' said Julian as everyone settled back in silent bliss. 'We have been to many different houses over the years, but I believe this is the best out of all of them!'

'Thank you,' said Seb. 'Of course, it's not a patch on Bosworth Manor, but it is something. It belonged to my grandfather – that's his picture on the far wall – who was an officer in the Royal Navy, and a very competent one he was too! We've lived in this house, the eight of us, for about six years, and we know that there is nowhere else we would rather be. By the way, have you seen David's paintings at all?'

'No they haven't,' said David, getting to his feet. 'I'll just run and fetch them.' He left the room and returned in very little time, carrying a slim folder as if it were made of glass. He opened it and took out a selection of paintings, which he spread out over the coffee table.

'They look beautiful!' said Anne as the Five examined them, and so they were. They depicted wildlife, railways, roads, harbours, stations and the biggest one even depicted all eight members of the Francisco clan. Each picture was highly detailed and painted very delicately, with what had to be David's signature written in black ink in the bottom right hand corner. It must have taken even a highly skilled artist at least an hour to create such portraits! Julian and Dick looked at David almost with reverence. The boy certainly had a gift, even if he was very relaxed indeed about it!

'You could earn a fortune out of these paintings, David!' said Dick.

'I suppose so,' agreed David, carefully restacking the portraits and slipping them back into the folder. 'But I'm only thirteen, and I've got my whole life ahead of me. It's far too early for me to leave school and pursue a skill that I could spend time improving on. Anyway, I'm sure I have other skills I can find while I'm still at school.'

Julian suddenly yawned loudly and set his empty cocoa mug down on the floor by his sofa. 'I'm so sleepy!' he announced. 'Is it all right if we go to bed now, Sam?'

'Of course,' said Sam, while the other children stared at Julian in disbelief. 'In fact, you must have an early night, because tomorrow you're all booked on Duck's first passenger train to the Arlesdale Miniature Railway. So you must all get your rest so that you will be fresh as daisies for tomorrow. Please allow me and Seb to take your rucksacks upstairs to your rooms.'

'Julian, what are you doing?' hissed Dick, as soon as Seb and Sam had left the room. 'You know perfectly well what grown-ups are capable of! They can have us all tucked into bed at a moment's notice! It does look such a perfect evening, and I did so want to see Florence and Fred again!'

'Have you forgotten what's supposed to be happening tonight?' whispered back Julian. 'A shipment to Brendam at nine, that's what! We have got to find out what it's all about, whether they put us to bed or not. There's always a chance that the men decided to bring forward the time of the shipment, and we can't afford to miss out if that happens. So the earlier we go up to bed, the more chance we'll have of seeing the shipment if we sneak out.'

'Sneak out?' echoed Anne. 'Surely we aren't going to leave our beds!'

'We have to, Anne,' said George. 'If we're to see the shipment, we'll have no choice!'

'Well, come on, everyone,' said Justin, getting to his feet. 'Now we have finished our cocoa, we'd better go and have a wash before bed. We don't want to combine today and tomorrow's dirt, do we?'

The others knew he was only playing along, but they still chatted carelessly all the way upstairs so they could take their minds off the possible danger of leaving after lights out. They all had a wash and slipped into the rooms that Seb and Sam directed them to.

'Well, make sure you have a good night's sleep, children,' said Seb as he and his wife went back down. 'I think I'd better try to find my pipe. I'm sure I left it on the hall table. Anyway, we shall see you in the morning.'

'How are we going to sneak out?' asked Anne once they were sure the two grown-ups were out of earshot and the children had congregated on the landing.

'Well, there's ivy growing up all one side of the house, and it reaches all our bedroom windows,' said Polly. 'So it shouldn't be too hard. Shall we say, ten minutes by the end of the drive?'

'Got it,' said David. 'All right, as of now, I forbid any of you to make a sound! I suggest we put the pillows under the sheets, and then if either Mother or Father looks in, they'll think we're fast asleep under the covers. Is that okay with all of you? Right, see you at the main road in ten minutes.'

Julian and Dick disappeared into their bedroom, where they were pleased to find their rucksacks, along with their pyjamas, propped against their beds. Moving quickly, yet quietly, the two boys laid their pyjamas and pillows beneath the sheets to give the shape of two curled-up bodies. Then they seized their torches from their backpacks and Julian opened the window.

'Now I'm going first,' he said to Dick. 'I'm the older of the two of us, and I have to make sure that the ivy is strong enough to take my weight before I can let you down.'

'But if it isn't, how am I to get down?' asked Dick. 'You might have an awful accident and I wouldn't be able to see the shipment.'

Julian thought about this, then said slowly, 'Tell you what, we'll go down together. That way, if it isn't strong enough for me, at least you will be able to join the others.'

The two boys slipped on their jackets and took their places beside the window. Julian looked his brother straight in the eye, and gave a brief nod. As one boy, they swung themselves over the sill and seized the ivy as they lowered themselves down. Luckily, the ivy had grown such that each branch provided superb hand- and footholds, so the two boys reached the ground without any trouble at all.

'I hope George and Anne have got out safely,' said Dick. Then a dreadful thought struck him. 'What about Tim? I can't believe we were so stupid as to forget that he can climb neither up nor down! What if George can't get him down at all?'

'Think again,' came a cheerful voice from on high, and Julian and Dick looked up into the grinning face of George, who was clinging to the ivy some ten feet above their heads. Timmy was draped across her shoulders like a fur stole, and beside George was a nervous, but determined-looking Anne.

'I'm jolly glad to see you didn't forget old Tim!' said Julian as the two girls reached the ground safely. George turned a reproachful eye on him as she lowered Tim to the grass.

'How many times do I have to tell you? I'd rather die than leave Tim behind on an adventure! Come on, David and the others will be waiting for us.'

'I hope they got out as well,' said Anne as they jogged across the lawn to the main road. 'They know Sodor better than any of us. Without them, we're lost.'

As she spoke, they reached the end of the drive and there were all six Francisco children, ready and waiting to set off. All of them had torches in their hands, and looks of impatient excitement on their faces. As soon as the Five had joined them, they switched on their torches set off as a pack down the road, keeping close to the hedgerow by the side of the road to prevent being seen by a passing car.

None of them spoke, for fear of someone, somewhere, hearing them, and also because they couldn't, for the life of them, think of anything to say. Here they were, going to investigate something George had overheard. Were they being led into a trap and, if so, what would happen to them when they got to the port? Timmy trotted along at their heels and he didn't so much as growl. He knew perfectly well that the children meant to be as quiet as mice, and so he must do the same!


	13. A Night Shipment

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

_**A night shipment**_

The Five silently agreed that it was strangely comforting to walk along a road at night. The darkness and silence of the fields were a world apart from the noise of a spring day. Before they met George, Julian, Dick and Anne would have been afraid to walk down a country lane in the dark, but now they walked comfortably, letting a whole new range of sounds fall to their hearing – the hooting from a variety of night owls, the yap of a fox, the snuffling of a badger, the whisper of the trees and, from quite some distance away, the soft rushing of the waves against the beach. At any rate, all ten of them had powerful torches and an equally powerful dog, so they had absolutely nothing to fear!

They were about halfway to the port when suddenly a foghorn sounded across the Brendam peninsula. All the children heard it, and stopped dead in their tracks.

'Did you hear that?' breathed Alex. 'That didn't come from the harbour. It came from somewhere over there.' He pointed to the right across a field of marigolds, which stretched to the edge of a cliff. Without a word, the children turned, scrambled through the hedge one by one and sprinted across the field to the cliff top. There a great surprise awaited them!

The cliff looked down over an out-of-the-way beach, which right now was almost crammed. There were several huge lorries parked in a semicircle close to the water's edge, and a few dozen men were running about, setting up a small platform and securing the lorries by placing wooden chocks between the wheels. They were all carrying paraffin lamps, which swung like pendulums from their hands and sent golden light dancing across the shingle.

David turned to the others and made a signal with his hand, ordering them to get down. As one, the ten of them flung themselves onto their stomachs in the soft grass, with Tim sprawling next to George. Everyone turned off their torches and restored them to their pockets. Now, they were quite safe, hidden from the beach below by darkness and the odd bush. The foghorn sounded again, louder and closer than before.

Julian glanced at his watch. 'Goodness, nine o'clock precisely – right on time!'

The children gazed to the horizon. They expected to see a huge container ship, or maybe even a cruise liner, emerge from the darkness, horn blaring and lights blazing. Instead, they saw what looked like a massive shark's fin knifing through the water towards the beach. In the five minutes that followed, the fin was joined by five more, all moving slowly and purposefully towards the beach.

'Sharks?' hissed George, looking highly disappointed and indignant. 'Is this what it's all about? All that fuss for a fleet of sharks?'

'That's not a shark,' said Charlie, squinting at the things scything towards the shoreline. 'They look more like the sail and foreplanes of a submarine!'

'Don't be silly, Charlie,' said Dick. 'Why would submarines make a delivery when ships would do just as well?'

'Because they would be less obvious?' suggested Lily, and Dick fell silent, realising that Lily was absolutely right.

As the crafts reached the shoreline, any wonders of whether they were sharks were dismissed, because no shark would have a set of propellers instead of a tail. All six submarines were painted black, and on the curved side of each were stencilled the words 'US Navy' in whitewash. Some sort of hatch swung open in the sail of the first one and a man emerged, dressed in an admiral's uniform.

'That's it?' said Anne, peering hard at the admiral. 'A meeting of the American Navy? It's not much to go on, is it?'

As she spoke, the submarines halted in front of the gathering on the beach, and half a dozen men nearest the lorries flung the doors open to the night. A man dressed in an overcoat and cloth cap had walked up to the front of the first submarine, and began talking to its captain, for that must surely be who the uniformed man was. By straining their ears, the children could make out what was being said.

'Greetings, Capitan,' the man on the beach was saying. 'We are ready to begin transfer. No one knows what is going on and we can get the loads transported to the house under cover of darkness.'

'Sure thing, Dr Francisco,' the captain replied in a strong American accent. He bowed his head and yelled through the trapdoor into the submarine. 'All right, guys. We've been given the all clear. Do your stuff!'

'Dr Francisco?' gasped Anne. 'Your father's down there, David! With those men!'

'But that's impossible!' said Alex indignantly. 'Father was in the drawing room when we came out. We saw him through the window. How can he possibly be in two places at once?'

'There's something else,' said David, frowning down at the crowd on the beach. 'That didn't sound like Father's voice at all! And he called the man on the submarine "Capitan", which is the Spanish for captain. His father, our grandfather, used to be in the Navy himself, and he always called every single member of the crew by their title.'

'Seb said he has Spanish heritage,' said Julian. 'Maybe that's why he spoke Spanish just then. He could just be keeping in practise.'

'Yes, but why do it here?' said Charlie. 'He often spoke Spanish, but only when they met people who spoke that particular language. Why should he exchange Spanish with an American captain?'

None of them could think of an answer to that, so they turned their attention to the beach again. They stared as a slit cut into the nose of the first submarine opened wide like a mouth to reveal its inside. The children couldn't see much because they were too far up and they could only see unnatural white light filtering out across the seashore. As if it were a signal, the other five submarines opened their 'mouths' as well, sending white light sprawling across the dark sand.

Then, just as the children were wondering whether they should risk taking a closer look, they saw men emerging from within the submarines, each of them clutching an enormous packing case in both hands, which they carried over to the waiting lorries. When they reached the lorries, they propped their cargos on their knees and hoisted them into the back before turning and marching back into the submarine and returning with another crate. At least four or five men were operating on each submarine, and they all moved in a sort of procession.

'They all look like a troop of toy soldiers!' said George, watching the cargo transfer with interest. 'I wonder what happens if any of them stops or slackens their pace.'

'It probably gets passed down the line,' said Justin. 'Which is to say, if one of them slows down, they all do. But the long and short of it is that they're going to get loaded up sooner or later.'

'I have a feeling this is going to get rather tedious,' said David. 'If anyone wants to get forty winks, now's the time to do so.'

'Look!' said Dick suddenly. 'I believe they're finishing! The cavalcades are stopping.'

Sure enough, only two or three men were carrying the last of the cases out to the lorries, and the others were gathering together in a cluster on the shingle – almost directly beneath where the children were hidden! At last, the doors of the submarines and trucks slammed shut with a deafening crash, and the man in the overcoat marched up to the leaders of each submarine, who were standing on the platform looking completely relaxed. The man in the coat was now smoking a pipe and looked nearly as calm as the captains of the submarines.

'Check my list, Kowalski,' said the man, offering a clipboard to the leader of the chief submarine. The man called Kowalski took the clipboard and examined it in the lantern light, which illuminated the scene like candles in a monastery. Eventually, he finished and returned the list.

'And now,' said the man in the overcoat, addressing his peers, 'we shall head off back to base for a proper delivery, so if you could...' Then he broke off, and in the silence, all the children knew something was wrong.

'There are children up there!' shouted the man, pointing up at the cliff-top. 'Ten of them – and a dog too! They must have been spying on us all along! You lot – get after them! The rest, prepare to your vehicles! We shall set off immediately! But now, get those children!'

'Quick!' cried Julian, as about half the men detached themselves from the group and dashed across the sand. 'Run for it, all of you! Back to Francisco House – as fast as you can! Come on – HURRY!'

Without a word, the children leapt up and ran back across the field, making a beeline for the hedge and not looking back once. They knew that if they were caught, they might be punished in some way by the man in the overcoat, or maybe locked up in one of the massive lorries. With that thought in mind, they clambered back through the hedge, George thrusting Timmy through ahead of her, and fairly dashed up the road, not stopping until they had reached the start of the drive up to Francisco House.

The ten of them slowed to a stop and collapsed in a heap underneath an elm tree by the roadside, panting nearly as much as Tim, who was sprawled on the grass alongside George.

'All right then,' panted David at last. 'Now that we've escaped, I think we ought to think back over what we've seen and heard.'

'Well, a lot of goods have been shipped here by submarine possibly from America,' said George. 'And if they have been bought honestly in shops, I'll eat Tim.'

'All right, no need to get that desperate to prove a point,' said Dick, sitting up and giving George a gentle punch on the arm. 'But you're probably right, George. If you ask me, they're nothing more than common sneak thieves – smugglers even! There must something we can do towards finding out what's going on.'

'I could pop back tomorrow morning – before breakfast – and see if any of those men left anything of value,' volunteered Alex. 'There might not be anything at all, of course, but it's still worth a look.'

'Well, we must get to bed,' said Julian, getting to his feet. 'We aren't supposed to be out here, and Seb said we've got a big day tomorrow. I'm surprised I can even keep my eyes open!'

So everyone stood up and hurried up the drive. Creeping round to the back of the house, they clawed their way up the ivy to their respective rooms, George carrying Tim on her shoulders again. Once they were back in their rooms, they flung on their pyjamas, jumped into bed and fell asleep as soon as their heads touched the pillows.


	14. Mostly About The Belvederes

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

_**Mostly about the Belvederes**_

Next morning, the ten children were woken by the gentle sound of birdsong, and the sun forcing its way through the curtains as their wake-up call. Julian and Dick woke up before everyone else, and talked about what they had seen last night as they washed and dressed.

'I wonder what those men could possibly have been delivering,' said Dick, pulling on his jersey. 'I wish I could have seen inside the crates. Whatever was in them must be most awfully exciting!'

'Well, the man in the jacket said to check a list, so it must have been a great many things,' said Julian, flinging open the curtains to reveal the outside world. 'I noticed the men handled those crates with care, so the contents must have been quite valuable and – given what we've come up against in the past – jolly expensive too! Come on if you're ready. Breakfast is most likely served.'

The two boys left the room and hurried downstairs into the kitchen, where everyone else, man and beast, was already seated round the table – everyone, that is, except Alex. The boy was nowhere in sight, but an empty chair showed that he wasn't forgotten. Nonetheless, Anne asked where Alex was.

'He's gone for a jog down the road to clear his head,' said Seb, spooning thick, creamy porridge from a large saucepan into china bowls and handing them round. 'It's good for young people to get a bit of exercise to start the day! There you are, children. Help yourselves to cream, sugar and treacle.'

Julian and Dick exchanged glances as they began their breakfast. Alex had said he would return to the beach next morning, and that was clearly what he'd done! What would he find when he got there? Would there be any clues that might tell them what was really going on?

However, any questioning was postponed for, at that moment, they heard running feet on the drive outside, then the sound of the front door opening and closing. A few seconds later, Alex himself entered the kitchen, red-faced and panting. The first thing he did was fling himself into the one remaining empty chair, the second to take a bunch of keys from his pocket and hand them to his mother. Only then did he start attacking his porridge with relish. The others longed to know if he'd gone back to the beach and what he'd found there if he had, but they agreed wordlessly that asking it in front of Seb and Sam was not a very good idea at all.

Thus it was that, after breakfast, the children ran upstairs, grabbed their rucksacks and ran back down again. They were about to leave when Seb slipped a handful of money into David's hand.

'Take yourselves out to lunch somewhere on Duck's line,' he said, giving a cheery wink. 'There are some topping restaurants in Haultraugh – and splendid bathing too, if you all fancy a trip to the seaside later today! Now Edward's train should be at Suddery in twenty minutes. We have business to see to in Tidmouth, so we'll go on ahead of you. Oh, and by the way, I should think that Timmy's fully recovered. But have a great time, all of you!'

'Have you found anything, Alex?' asked Anne, once they were out of the house and heading up the road towards Suddery. Seb and Sam were already a quarter of a mile up the road, marching in perfect step. 'Did you even go back to the beach at all?'

'Yes I did,' said Alex. 'I double-checked every nook and cranny – but nothing! The beach was completely empty, and it didn't look as though anything had happened there at all!'

'Most peculiar,' mused Julian. 'How can three or four heavily loaded lorries simply disappear into thin air? There's also the matter of the man in the big jacket. Who do you reckon it could be?'

'It can't have been Father,' said David. 'We saw him in the drawing room as we came out. He did look jolly weary, but apart from that, we _know_ it can't have been him.'

'Your father is so very good to us,' said George. 'I simply can't understand why...' she swallowed '...HE can't stand him.' Everyone knew she meant Lord Belvedere.

'It's nothing new,' said Justin. 'The Belvederes are the sort of people who hate everyone, and whom everyone hates. It's their nature, really, you know how it is. Living a life shut off from the outside world can do that to you. I take it you know that already, giving what you're capable of.'

'How exactly did they come to cut themselves off from everything around them?' asked Dick.

'Well, Lord Belvedere's a retired stockbroker,' said Polly. 'That's how he earned his living, and how he got himself such a big house like Bosworth Manor. He sold big stocks of huge companies to anyone starting up a business. He's been doing it all his life. The reason he's called Lord Belvedere is that he is, in fact, son of the late Marquess of Wiltshire.'

'What does Lady Belvedere do?' asked Anne. 'Does she sell stocks as well?'

'No, she used to work in fashion,' said Alex. 'But she decided it wasn't for her, so she resigned and let her husband earn the proper living. They've been going on like that for over half their lives, and that's really how they became so unpleasant. That's the trouble with stockbrokers. They only earn a part of what they set out to gain, and they can get quite snappy if things don't go their way.'

'His Lordship gained his short temper when children started mocking him for being overweight,' said Charlie. 'Because the Belvederes believe money should be spent wisely if you're poor and extensively if you're rich, much of their money vanished on food, drink, clothes and furniture.'

'They started giving money to the poor, as a way of getting rid of it,' said Lily. 'But they quickly realised that they could benefit from all the money, so they used the cash on themselves instead.'

'But that's not fair on anyone else!' exclaimed Julian. 'If they want to live in style, then that means other people who don't earn as much must think that the Belvederes are so stuck-up, they're not worth getting acquainted with!'

'Do you know what, Julian?' said David. 'You've really hit the nail on the head! Because, you see, that is _precisely_ why no one on Sodor likes the Belvederes! Everyone thinks His Lord- and Ladyship are just telling everyone else how rich, powerful and proud they are, whereas everyone around them is just part of the package, as it were. So they turn a blind eye – and a deaf ear – to everything around them, saying it is utterly beneath them. That makes everyone on Sodor think they're not worth contacting, so they all develop a hatred for those fat cats, and that's why no one likes them!'

There was a silence, while everyone concentrated on reaching Suddery to catch Edward's train. As they entered the village, they could see the station at the end of the road and, just beyond, Edward waiting patiently with a short passenger train that was almost full. Breaking into a run, the children reached the station in very little time indeed, where they dashed through onto the platform.

'Oh, there you all are!' said Edward joyfully. 'I was wondering where on earth you'd got to! Seb and Sam are already on board. I did consider asking BoCo to take the train instead. But since he's busy at Brendam Bay and you want to ride on my train again, I'd be honoured to allow it! Get down, Timmy! George, would you be so kind as to stop Tim from trying to lick me?'

'Thank you, Edward,' said Dick. 'You're too kind for words, and you make a very smooth ride indeed, unlike some of the trains we've ridden on in the past. You are a jolly good friend!'

Once George had restrained Tim, the children climbed onto the train. At once, the guard blew his whistle and Edward set off. The ride was as smooth as yesterday's, and the children were sure that, despite what they saw last night, nothing could possibly spoil their holiday!

'I wish we could see what Bosworth Manor's really like,' said Dick suddenly, before he knew what he was saying. 'I know you said looks can be deceptive, Ju, but His Lordship's attitude seems to me anything _but_ deceptive! If only there was a way we could see inside his house...'

'I think there might be,' said David, even more unexpectedly than Dick. 'We – that is, me, Justin, Charlie and Alex – tried it out once. We nearly got caught, but it's worth a second try.'

'Oh dear,' groaned Anne. 'We're talking adventures again! I did want an adventureless holiday!'

'With a group like you, not a chance,' said Justin. 'But like David said, we can get in. All we have to do is ask to be taken there.'

'What do you use to get in?' said George, whose hatred of Belvedere was gone in her fascination.

'We'll show you when we get there,' said Polly. 'But for now, we should enjoy the Arlesdale Railway and Haultraugh Beach.'

'I would really like to see Tidmouth again,' said Julian wistfully. 'It really is a great place to be! Unlike some places, like with Lord Belvedere! You should have seen him the other day, David! The way he hit Tim with that walking stick of his – it was dreadful! And then he threatened George with it! And none of the engines did anything to oblige!'

'They were just afraid that shouting at His Lordship would be bad for business,' said David glumly. 'Remember, lords and ladies are much more dangerous to offend than normal passengers. They are very high socially, and in any case, no engine can ever be rude to his or her passengers, otherwise they'll go away and never come back!'

'Do people do that on Sodor?' asked Dick.

'They can at a moment's notice,' said Justin. 'Just one wheel out of line and, _bang_, they're gone! But I don't know what made George lose it with His Lordship! None of us have done it before now, so why should she?'

'It's all because of her devotion to Tim,' said Julian. 'She won't hear one single word against him, and can get most disagreeable if she does!'

'No one will mistreat my Tim!' said George, looking as fierce as Lord Belvedere himself. 'Certainly no one who thinks they can get away with it!'

'That's as may be, but you can't afford to lose your temper with His Lordship,' said Polly. 'If you do, he could very well complain to the Fat Controller, and have you sent home. That would be awful for all of us!'

The Five fell silent. The thought of George losing her temper again was not at all nice, but the prospect of being sent home was even worse! And all because of some insensitive, stuck-up noble who hated people, animals and possibly steam engines as well!

'So what about your family?' said Julian, wanting to shift the conversation away from the Belvederes. 'Have you really lived on Sodor all your lives?'

'Indeed yes,' said Alex. 'Our grandparents lived on Sodor when the line was being built, years and years ago. Grandfather and Lord Belvedere actually went to the same school. Evidently, both men loathed each other on sight! That's why Mother and Father have always hated the Belvederes!'

'Grandfather thought that Belvedere came from too fancy a background, which wasn't actually Sudrian-based!' explained Charlie. 'And Belvedere was always jealous of Grandfather's many talents, all of which he passed onto Father, who in turn passed them onto us.'

'Why should people half the Belvederes' age despise them like that?' asked Anne. 'That sounds like me or Dick hating one of the porters.'

'I know it sounds queer, but I'm afraid that's how life goes,' said Lily. 'What's important is that we've never liked the Belvederes – you can guess why.'

'But as to your family, you say your grandfather had all the talents of you and your father,' said Dick, not wanting anyone to get upset. 'Tell me, what was life like for your parents before your time?'

David scratched his head. 'I'm sure Father told me,' he said. 'Oh yes, I remember. Father went to the same school as Grandfather, and both made astonishing progress. But Father went off to Cambridge University where he got a first in Medicine while Belvedere went to Oxford for a degree in Economics. I might add that, whenever Father returned home for the holidays, he would always receive a jolly rousing welcome from the Fat Controller's engines.'

'How wonderful!' said George happily, who had now developed quite a liking for most of the Fat Controller's engines. 'He must be a very popular man!'

'He is!' said Justin. 'There isn't a single person on Sodor who doesn't know Uncle Seb! He's so clever and brave, and he has every reason for people to like him – a big house, a joyful life and such a loving family as well! And Aunt Sam is very much the same!'

'He's always been very close friends with the engines,' said Polly. 'In fact, it was thanks to them that Mother and Father got engaged. It's a long story, but...'

Polly trailed off, her eyes fixed on the window. Everyone whipped round and stared through the glass in shock and disbelief. They had reached Tidmouth and pulled into the station without noticing, and there, standing on the platform, were Lord and Lady Belvedere! Lord Belvedere seemed to be talking severely to a porter, waving a piece of paper at the man to emphasise his point, whilst the porter was looking utterly at a loss. The window was ajar, and the children heard the exchange.

'Do you mean to say that no claim has been put through to the Other Railway?' Belvedere was saying, sounding almost as wrathful as he had done when he'd lashed out at Tim two days before. 'I remember most distinctly sending a summons to Doncaster for one of their largest, most efficient diesel engine! That was three days ago, and I have not had a reply since!'

'But, my Lord,' protested the unhappy porter, 'the Fat Controller contacted the Other Railway on your behalf, and they said they never had a summons to begin with.'

As the children watched, His Lordship suddenly lashed out at the porter, catching him behind the ear. The porter reeled back, more startled than hurt.

'HEY!' yelled David through the window. 'Pick on someone your own size, Chunky!'

Lord Belvedere heard this, and looked up, his face scarlet. Anne and Dick stared at David, astonished that he could have the nerve to speak to Lord Belvedere like that, but Julian and George understood, remembering that he and his family had always detested the Belvederes.

'It is those little brats from Francisco House!' scoffed Lady Belvedere, raising her lorgnettes in a most haughty manner. 'And they have brought their friends with that dreadful dog of theirs! It ought not to be allowed!'

This was too much for George to handle. Without knowing what she was doing, she flung the door open and leapt out onto the platform. Instinctively, the others piled out after her. The Belvederes saw her and Lord Belvedere's eyes blazed.

'Not you children again! I do not know what the Fat Controller was thinking, asking you to stay! Children are horrible little creatures, made to interfere and prove useless!'

George wasn't listening. She straightened up and glowered at Belvedere, eyes flashing furiously.

'How _dare_ you talk about us like that! How _dare_ you try and get rid of us! You don't deserve to live on this glorious island! Fancy beating up a helpless porter like this! The engines were perfectly happy until you miserable wretches came along, and so were the Franciscos! I'm surprised the Fat Controller hasn't done anything about you! _You're_ the ones who don't deserve to be here, not us!'

Belvedere's face purpled, his moustache quivered and his monocle seemed in danger of falling out. For a moment, anger deprived him of the power of speech. But then it returned – with a vengeance!

'HOW _DARE_ YOU!' screamed Belvedere. 'How _dare_ you speak to me like that! How dare _a__nyone_ defy me, Lord Reginald Belvedere! I will have you know, my little pest, that I and my wife are peers of the realm! I warned you last time we met that next time you spoke to me like that, you would be next to be handled with my stick! Well, now I realise I was foolish to leave it too late!'

As he spoke, he raised his stick menacingly, but before he could strike, it was seized from behind by Julian, who snatched it from Belvedere's grasp.

'Excuse me,' he said, sounding very grown-up indeed. 'Kindly leave my cousin alone, Lord Beaver-Face. I'm sure the Fat Controller wouldn't like you to see you cudgel total strangers like this. None of the people we've met have done it, so I don't see why you should start. Mark my words, if you make another crack at any of us, I will personally tell the Fat Controller and then he'll have to take action.'

Lord Belvedere said nothing, but merely glared at Julian. First anger and now astonishment had overwhelmed him. He had never known children to speak to him like this, much less children he'd never met before! Lady Belvedere gazed at Julian as well, equally caught off guard. Edward was listening intently, for he had heard every word of what had happened.

'I think we should let them be, my dear,' said Lady Belvedere at last. 'This young man clearly has it in for us. Maybe we should leave them to it. Like they've made clear, they want to be left alone. Perhaps we ought to keep out of their way till they leave Sodor for good.'

Belvedere still said nothing. Julian felt it safe to return the man's stick, so he held it out. Belvedere snatched it from his grasp.

'You seem to have things in control, Julian,' he growled. 'Well, I suggest you clear off for now, before someone gets hurt. Well, I cannot see what there is in steam engines for people to fawn over. They are just old rust buckets on wheels, and the Sudrians are no exception. I do not understand why the Fat Controller simply moves with the times and brings in more modern diesels. I understand that he already has two, but they seem to have sided with the kettles. Well, for now I bid you good day.'

He turned to go, but before he could take two paces, something sprang onto his back from behind, boiling him over. It was George, who had heard Belvedere's speech and hadn't liked it at all! She leapt at His Lordship and pinned him in place with her hands and knees.

'_Never_ –' she screamed, emphasising each word with either a blow to the man's head or a kick to his stomach,'– _insult_ – _the_ – _Fat_ – _Control__ler's_ – _engines_ – _in_ – _front_ – _of_ – _me_!'

Before George could do Belvedere serious harm, she felt her arm being seized from behind and pulled gently but firmly away from the man. She looked up into the irate face of Seb! Sam, who had been hovering in the background, hurried forwards to help and grabbed George's other arm. They had clearly emerged from their compartment on Edward's train.

'Children!' said Seb reproachfully as he managed to pull George away. 'This is madness. I'd better take you to the Arlesdale myself.'

'Well, well, well – Francisco senior,' wheezed Belvedere, clambering awkwardly to his feet.

'Reginald,' said Seb, nodding coldly as he released George, and wishing he'd left the little girl to it.

'Busy time, taking care of endangered species,' remarked Belvedere. Neither he nor Seb had noticed that the spectators had all fallen silent. 'Might I say that that mission is doomed to failure? These creatures are going to die anyway, even if I do not raise a finger to make a difference. The same can also be said for taking care of this lot.' He scowled at the children, and George glared right back.

'And what exactly would you know about children, Belvedere?' demanded Seb. 'Nothing! Because you've never had children and, by the look of it, never will do either! We, however, have had children because we wanted to be parents. You and your senseless wife hate children, and don't hesitate to throw that fact at us all the time.'

'At least people like I have the sense not to increase an already teeming planet, Francisco,' retorted Belvedere. 'If I had any sense, I would have left this island almost as soon as I set foot on it. The way of life here most certainly leaves a lot to be desired. Deary me – what is the use of being a shame to the human race if there is nothing you gain from it?'

Seb flushed darkly. 'I think we have a jolly good idea of what shames the human race, Belvedere!' he snapped.

'Evidently,' sneered Belvedere, wisely ignoring George who was giving him a most ferocious glare. 'The company you associate yourself with – rust buckets and tin cans! And there was I thinking that your lot were already a disgrace!'

To the children's enormous surprise, Seb just took a deep breath and spoke in a calm, stately tone.

'Very well – if that's the way you think, so be it. But there's just one thing I want you to know, Lord Beaver-Face. We, the people and engines of the Island of Sodor, have borne your attitude for six months, maybe more. But this time we plan to put patience behind us! This time, it's...' he reached out and seized the metal tip of Belvedere's walking stick, '..._all_...' he yanked the stick out of the man's grasp, '...OUT...' he took hold of the other end of the stick with his free hand and raised his leg a few feet of the platform, '..._WAR_!' He brought the stick whistling down onto his thigh and the wood shattered. Seb threw the two pieces away across the platform and pointed a trembling finger at the station exit with a thunderous: 'NOW GET OUT!'

Lord Belvedere knew when he was beaten. He said nothing, but spat at his mortal enemy Seb, turned on his heel and stormed out of the station, followed by his wife. Moments later, there came the slam of a car door, the rev of an engine and finally the fading sound of screaming tyres.

'My word!' gasped Edward, astounded. 'What an exhibition! Well done, Seb and Julian! Though I think you really shouldn't have lost your temper with His Lordship, George.'

'He insulted us all!' said George, her face still a mask of rage. 'And he tried to kill me and Tim!'

'I know,' said Sam unhappily. 'But we've told you before, George, shouting at anyone is bound to be unpleasant – tenfold if they're a knight of the realm.'

'She's right,' said Duck's voice. Everyone looked up to see him appear from a siding at the head of a short goods train, looking tired, but ready to start the day. 'You can't go losing your head like that. We all know Belvedere's a dreadful piece of work, but that's no reason to try and show yourself up! You could land yourself in very big trouble! For that matter, you were nearly killed just now!'

'That rogue hates my Tim!' said George, who was breathing heavily and felt quite faint. 'I won't let him come anywhere near my dog! I might have to leave on the Express after all!'

'Don't be silly!' protested Dick. 'After what you and Julian said to him, I should think it's jolly unlikely that he'll try and have another crack at us. Besides, we've been invited to stay here for the summer, so there's no need to go tearing off like a mad thing! Just take things steady and do try not to lose your temper again.'

'Yes, please don't get set on leaving!' said Duck imploringly. 'We want you to stay, George! Me, Edward, all the branch line engines – in fact every engine on the island! If you leave, I bet you and your cousins wouldn't have half as good a time as they would if you stay and you share your holiday.'

'All right,' said George with a sigh. 'I'll stay. But only as long as Tim never, ever has to come up against Belvedere again!'

'That's a good boy,' said Seb paternally, making George go a brilliant shade of magenta. 'But I thought Julian handled the situation brilliantly. I was actually quite surprised that someone had the courage to stand up to him. You were amazing, Julian! You handled that very capably indeed!'

'I think it's always nice for children to have a role model in life,' said Edward. 'One to whom they can look up for wisdom and guidance.'

'That's our brother!' said Dick, clapping his elder brother on the shoulder. 'Calm and stoical whatever happens! He's stumped a lot of awful people we've met, and impressed even more others. You have to hand it to him for his dignity.'

'Well, we're very proud of you, Julian,' said Duck. 'I myself was surprised that you'd threaten to tell the Fat Controller about Belvedere's attitude. Normally, it's Belvedere who does the telling.'

'Thanks, you two,' said Julian modestly. 'But as you know, I have a younger brother and sister to take care of, and George and Tim joined the fray years ago. So I suppose, as acting head of the family, I have a duty to make sure nothing bad happens to any of them.'

'Well, that was a fine display!' said David admiringly, slapping Julian on the other shoulder. 'We take our hats off to you – or in Duck and Edward's case, our domes!' Everyone laughed, even George, who was all too willing to forget what had just happened.

'But enough of this,' said Duck. 'Come along, children. My branch line awaits. Who wants to come with me to Arlesdale and travel on the Arlesdale Railway?'


	15. The Arlesdale Railway

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

_**The Arlesdale Railway**_

'We do!' roared ten voices. Duck had promised to take the children on his branch line, and the thought of missing out on seeing yet another of Sodor's railways was simply awful!

'Climb aboard, then,' said Duck. 'I have a timetable to keep. I have to take some ballast wagons to Arlesdale, but you can all ride in the brake van.'

'Is that allowed?' said Julian dubiously. 'I've heard that only the guard is allowed in the brake van. Besides, it might be most distracting for the guard, having ten children and a dog sharing his space.'

'I'm sure the Fat Controller can make an exception,' said Seb. 'Now come on everyone. Duck has to reach the Arlesdale on time. For now, Sam and I have an engagement in Tidmouth. So we'll see all you later.'

The children ran to the back of the train, calling a goodbye to Edward, and scrambled into the brake van. The guard was very surprised indeed to see such a crowd in his van, but he waved his green flag for the driver all the same. From the front of the train, there came a most peculiar sound – 'Shplee, shplee!'

'What on earth was that?' said Anne in alarm as the train got underway.

'I have no idea,' said the guard, mystified. 'I think it was meant to be a whistle, but a whistle never sounds like that!'

'Then something must have happened to it,' said Alex. 'What do you reckon it was? Has it been tampered with or something?'

'Well, Duck was working late last night,' said the guard. 'And I think I remember his crew using it to boil eggs for their tea.'

'Eggs don't do that to a whistle,' said Justin slowly, 'unless it was an egg _shell_.'

'No one will mind for now,' said Lily. 'Just so long as we can reach the Arlesdale.'

That, of course, made the Five excited all over again. They gazed through the brake van window as they left Tidmouth Yard down a line that bent round behind the station and clearly led to Arlesdale.

Soon, they had left the Big Station behind them and had entered a long tunnel. Then they emerged on the other side – and there was the sea! It was a glorious blue that put the children in mind of Thomas' paintwork. It glistened in the morning sun, and there were even a few ships – tug boats, passenger boats and fishing trawlers – slicing determinedly through the water. The Five gazed at the scene with the greatest admiration even as the train reached the seaside town of Haultraugh.

Duck puffed straight through the station at Haultraugh without stopping, and Dick and Anne briefly wondered why until they remembered they were on board a goods train bound for the Arlesdale Railway. And, in a few minutes, they reached a second station, this one called Arlesburgh, and Duck was reversing into a siding next to a wall atop which was a railway about a foot wide.

'We're here,' said the guard, applying the brakes at the rear of the van. 'Well, I have a train to take care of, so good day to you, youngsters. Have fun on the Arlesdale, and be sure to enjoy yourselves on the Haultraugh beach as well.'

The children thanked the guard and left the brake van, climbing onto the wall outside with the little railway directly next to them. It was as they stood in the open air that they saw that the siding the train was parked in was covered by a huge ballast hopper of green metal, already with three or four small brown trucks waiting on the top.

The children and Tim hurried to the front of the train, where Duck stood looking quite upset.

'What's wrong?' asked Anne. 'Why are you looking so fed up?'

'My whistle's broken,' said Duck morosely. 'I don't know why, but you heard it on the way here. I don't sound like myself at all.'

'Never mind,' said his driver bracingly. 'It must've been a bit of that egg which broke. We'll clean it out presently when we've got time. Meanwhile, no one will mind.'

Just then, they all heard a high-pitched laugh from behind them. The children spun round to see a small red engine standing in front of a small shed, laughing loudly. The Five gazed past him and saw two more engines, one green and one blue, standing just behind him.

'Duck,' said Dick, 'have I grown or have Gordon, Henry and James shrunk?'

Julian, George and Duck burst out laughing.

'Those aren't the Big Engines,' said Duck at last. 'Those are the Small Railway Engines. This is the Arlesdale Miniature Railway. The red one's Mike, the blue one's Bert and the green one's Rex.'

'Mike doesn't sound very polite,' said George, glaring at the red engine, who glared back. 'Fancy laughing at us when everyone else has been so kind!'

'I don't think he was laughing at us,' said Julian uncomfortably. 'It must have been Duck's whistle. He must think the sound it makes is funny.'

'I think we're due on the first train of the day,' said David. 'The station's just over there. Come on.'

'Goodbye, Duck,' said George. 'I jolly well hope you get your whistle fixed.' Duck smiled feebly as the Five hurried across the yard to the station, where a half-filled train was ready to set off.

'These are the coaches of the Arlesdale Railway,' said David, assuming the air of a magician about to perform his final trick.

'Those aren't coaches!' said George indignantly. 'Don't give me that look, David! They're just tru...' She stopped abruptly as David clamped a hand over her mouth.

'Don't talk about them like that, George!' he hissed. 'They may look like ballast wagons and goods vans. But they have seats, and that makes them coaches. Now hurry up and get in before the Small Controller thinks you're criticising his railway.'

Feeling rather put-out, George called Tim and clambered onto the train. The others followed and they all sat on the bench-like seats, five to a seat with Tim squeezed between George and Julian. Barely five minutes had passed since the children had boarded the train then Mike, the little red engine, approached the station with a face like thunder.

'What's up with him?' said Dick as Mike backed forcefully onto the train, almost throwing them out of their seats, and letting off steam angrily. 'I jolly well hope he isn't always like this.'

'I rather think that Rex has been teasing him again,' said Justin. 'They're always like that. Sometimes I think they like being at loggerheads.'

Soon, the guard's whistle sounded and Mike set off with a rude jerk.

'Come on! Come on! COME ON!' he ordered and they set off. But Mike's anger didn't stop there. On the contrary, he whistled loudly all the while, even when Timmy barked at a flock of sparrows that were flying just too that bit close to the train.

The children ignored this and gazed at the landscape. The line led through fields full of sheep, with the odd bridge and station along the way. The Five had to admit that it wasn't as beautiful as the Skarloey, or as awe-inspiring as the Culdee Fell, but it was still peaceful enough. Before long, they reached the End Station and everyone got out to look at the scenery whilst Mike's driver examined his engine, and then put him onto the turntable a few feet from the platform.

'I know Mike doesn't like coaches, but he's never been this crabby,' said Lily, shaking her head in confusion. 'Maybe we should let him be for a while.'

'He reminds me of James,' said George, glancing at Mike who sizzled crossly at her. 'What sort of traffic does the Arlesdale do besides passengers?'

'The main form of traffic is ballast,' said Charlie. 'That's why no more weeds are growing from between the rails on the Main Line – it contains some sort of chemical.'

'We did see a ballast loader from the Express on the way here,' said Julian suddenly. 'I suppose that the ballast it was loading was that from the Arlesdale.'

'Absolutely,' said David. 'It's a special sort of ballast, one that makes the tracks look healthier by getting rid of those awful weeds.'

'Donald and Douglas used to bring the ballast down the line to the Big Station, and say that it came from "verra wee engines",' said Alex. 'That peeved the Big Engines until Duck took a train up the line and met the engines for the first time. That was only a few months ago.'

'I can see why the Big Engines were at a loss,' said Dick. 'I wish we could talk to Rex and Bert and ask them how life is on this railway. We can't talk to Mike – he would only blow his top at us!'

'Here's our chance, then,' said Julian as Mike started reversing onto the train. 'If we don't get back on board, Mike might leave without us. He certainly looks like he'd do so to me.'

No sooner had everyone scrambled back onto the train than Mike set off back along the line. They made good progress until suddenly the train began to slow down and soon came to a complete halt. Julian peered over Mike's cab and saw a large cow standing right on the line and grazing languidly.

'Cows are a nightmare to the Fat Controller's engines,' David confided in Dick and Julian. 'You should have seen how Gordon and Henry "handled" a stray cow on the Main Line, and what happened when a herd of them were set loose on Edward.'

'Anne doesn't much like cows,' replied Julian. 'And I can't say I blame her. They can be jolly big and scary, especially bulls. And they can be so noisy!'

'I'm not scared of cows!' said Anne with fierce indignation. 'They just _look_ frightening, that's all.'

'I was nearly killed by a bull once,' said Dick. 'When we're young, we never really know danger. What happened was...' But what actually happened when Dick met the bull was lost forever as Mike set up another volley of shrill whistling. However, this one didn't last very long at all, for the second 'Peep' became a terrific 'Whoooooosh!' as, to everyone's amazement, something small and gold shot up from Mike's boiler like a rocket and disappeared into a field by the lineside!

'Goodness! Whatever was that?' cried George in alarm as Timmy let out a torrent of barking, mostly aimed at the field where the thing had landed.

'I rather think _that_ was Mike's whistle,' said David. 'It must have been shaken loose by all that whistling he did on the way up. And when he blew it just then to try and get rid of the cow, it must have loosened and blown off!'

'I've never heard of that happening to an engine before!' said George. 'Calm down, Tim! I bet people could hear you all the way from Tidmouth! Calm _down_, I say! It was only a whistle!'

By now, word of what had happened had spread down the train. Mike's driver and the guard had already started looking for the whistle.

'We can't waste time with whistles,' called a farmer sitting behind Alex. 'We must catch our train.'

'There are boards saying "WHISTLE",' protested Mike. 'I mustn't pass those without whistling. That's "Orders". Please find it.'

'Sorry,' said an old lady. 'We can't wait. We'll have to whistle for you, that's all.'

'Did you hear that?' whispered Polly as the guard and driver returned to their places. 'We have to act as Mike's whistle. That will certainly be something to tell Rex and Bert.'

'Fancy Mike having his passengers whistle for him!' said George gleefully as they set off again. 'It will serve him right for being rude to Duck!'

For the rest of the journey, everyone kept on the lookout for 'WHISTLE' signs and, if one appeared, they all whistled – except Tim, who merely barked loudly until George silenced him. Dick and Anne could not help feeling a little sorry for Mike for losing his whistle, but all the children agreed afterwards that it was brilliant fun, and so did most of the passengers!

Soon, they reached the bottom station, only to find a grim-faced man in a brown suit and yellow waistcoat standing on the platform waiting for them. This had to be the Small Controller, and, from the look on his face, he had heard everything that had happened and hadn't liked it one bit!

Briefly, Mike's driver outlined what had happened while the passengers disembarked, and the children hovered round to hear the Small Controller's verdict.

'I've no spare whistles,' they heard him tell Mike severely. 'So you'll have to wait. It serves you right for being such a crosspatch.'

'Tee hee,' chortled Alex. 'I can't wait to tell Rex and Bert. Mike's in for a nice little bit of teasing when this leaks out.'

'Where are Rex and Bert?' asked Dick, glancing round the yard.

'There they are!' said David, pointing across the yard. A few sidings were stood near the water column, and there, sitting contentedly side by side, were Rex and Bert. The children rushed up.

'Hello, David!' cried Rex. 'We thought you'd never come. You lot must be the children the Small Controller's told us about. Anyway, David, where's the fire?'

'Rex, you'll never guess what!' panted David. 'Mike was blowing his whistle all the way to the End Station. But on the way back, a cow strayed on the line and Mike blew his whistle to get rid of it, but the whistle cap blew off!'

'Well, what do you know?' chortled Rex. 'There's a novelty. Now Mike's an improper engine!'

'What do you mean?' asked George. 'Mike looks anything _but_ improper to me.'

'Mike said this morning that engines without whistles aren't proper engines at all,' said Bert. 'But now the joke's on him!'

Everyone laughed, and Timmy barked by way of good humour.

'Well, what have we here?' said Bert, noticing Timmy for the first time and grinning broadly. 'A fine, sturdy-looking dog, no less.'

'He is, isn't he?' said George, wisely keeping a hand on Timmy's collar to prevent him knocking either Rex and Bert over in his enthusiasm, for he was easily the same height as either engine. 'This is Tim, and he's the best dog in the world!'

'I agree,' said Rex. 'Watch out, here comes Mr Grumpy!'

The children looked up to see a subdued Mike rolling slowly towards them. Julian and George found it very hard to read the engine's expression. On the one hand, he looked most upset at losing his cherished whistle. On the other hand, he glowered balefully at the world in general, daring anyone to say just one word about what happened.

'Hello, children,' said Mike rather sullenly. 'I hope you enjoyed yourselves on the journey.'

'You clearly didn't,' began Rex. 'How does it...?' He met Julian's stern look and stopped quickly.

'So tell me,' said Mike casually, 'how are you children finding Sodor?'

The Five burst forth at once, falling over themselves in their zeal to show their thoughts on Sodor.

'It's a smashingly beautiful island, it really is!'

'The engines are so hospitable, and nearly all of them have liked Tim!'

'Oh, you engines are so lucky to be living here!'

'If we had money and were old enough, we would love to buy a house and live here together!'

'How did you come to be on Sodor?' asked George. 'Alex said they had only heard of you a few months ago, so where exactly did you come from?'

'Our old line in England closed down, and the Fat Controller brought us here,' said Rex. 'We brought ballast down from the hills that would help kill weeds and make the tracks look healthier.'

'I don't understand the chemistry behind it,' put in Mike as his driver fed the water-pipe into his tank. 'But I do know that I'll always prefer trucks to coaches. One of the reasons I was in such a foul mood this morning.'

'I take it you've seen the ballast hopper in the yard as you came in,' said Bert. 'Well, we push the trucks up top. Then the bottoms of our trucks slide out and the ballast falls through our trucks and into the standard gauge trucks below.'

'How clever!' marvelled Julian. 'All these modern machines are so creatively designed, it's hard to picture what life was like a hundred years ago.'

'You'd best ask Skarloey and Rheneas,' said Rex. 'According to Edward, they first arrived on Sodor in the year 1865 and they celebrated their hundredth birthday a few years ago. So they're clearly the best engines to ask.'

'Skarloey and Rheneas are a hundred!' cried Anne. 'Goodness me! They never told us that!'

'Well, to be honest, it's not something you go round boasting about, is it, Anne?' said Bert with a chuckle. 'That would be cheerful to hear, I'm sure. "Hello, I'm Skarloey and I'm a hundred years old!" Although with steam engines, old age does lead to problems.'

'Don't say things like that, please, Bert!' begged Dick. 'We think old age is wonderful! If Edward's anything to go by, then we have nothing at all to fear about being old!'

'Talking of age, did any of you notice the Thin Clergyman on Mike's train?' said Rex. 'He's the one who writes the books about this whole railway network. Apparently, he plans to write a book about us three. He's just over there.' He indicated the station platform, and the children looked round to see a thin, bespectacled, middle-aged man standing talking to the Small Controller.

'What!' yelped Mike in horror. 'He was on my train? I jolly well hope he doesn't write about ... what happened today!'

'Can we go and speak with him?' asked George.

'Best not to,' said Julian. 'It wouldn't be polite to barge in on a conversation like that. Anyway, old age is a grand thing.'

'Easy for you to say, Julian,' said Mike sourly. 'But for us engines, old age can lead to problems. We've heard that Henry needed a new body shape at Crewe because he was always ill.'

'Be fair,' said David. 'Only a few months ago, Edward managed to bring home a train of enthusiasts when he managed to break a crank pin and badly damage his frame and splashers!'

'The poor thing!' cried Anne. 'I hope he was repaired!'

'We've read that he did, actually,' said Dick. 'It was in the book _Main Line Engines_. But even so, that was jolly brave of him to bring home a heavy train when, by rights, he should have been rescued.'

'That's not quite the way the Sudrians work, Dick,' said Rex. 'I feel sure that Edward would only have asked for help when all else has failed. That was what saved the Skarloey Railway from closure – you must have heard of that as well.'

'On the subject of the Skarloey, we have a confession to make,' said Bert. 'I suppose you were told about the Mid Sodor line.'

'Yes. What about it?' asked Dick.

'Well, it was ripped up years ago, and this line, the Arlesdale, was built over it,' said Rex. 'I hope you won't hold that against us.'

'Of course we won't!' said George. 'I'm sure you didn't mean to replace the Mid Sodor. Anyway, Sir Handel and Peter Sam lead happy lives on the Skarloey. But if only we knew where Duke was!'

'Don't worry, George,' said Polly. 'I bet Duke will be found shortly. When he is, he'll most likely go and live on the Skarloey with 'Stuart' and 'Falcon'.'

'Come and visit us another day!' called Rex.

'I hope they don't hold the whistle incident over Mike's boiler for the rest of the day,' said Anne as they picked their way across the yard towards the station. 'I'm not sure how much he can take.'

'I highly doubt that they'll hold it over him,' said Julian as they grouped themselves on the platform. 'If I know my Sudrians, I should think that they tend to leave it till nightfall when they're all in the sheds so that the victim doesn't get to tell their Controller. And then, over the years, if the engine or engines slip up at any time, they choose to bring it up ever so casually. The more embarrassing the incident, the more likely it is to get brought up.'

'How do you know all that?' asked Alex, goggling at Julian.

'Easy,' said Dick. 'We read _The Railway Series_ all the time when we're not sweating over schoolwork, and we have all the books to date. We only remembered it when we saw all the engines and learned about Sodor life. We'd read about it, but never thought we'd find ourselves here. We even became convinced that they didn't exist! We now know otherwise, of course!'

'Funnily enough, that's why the Eight Famous Engines – I'm sure you know who they are – went to London,' said Charlie as they hurried across the tracks towards Arlesburgh Station.

'The Fat Controller decided to prove to disbelievers that his engines were real, so he took them to London,' explained Alex. 'That was in the year 1957 – you may or may not remember it.'

'Oh, I wish we could have been there to see them for the first time!' groaned Dick, most disappointed. 'But we were at Billycock Hill, trying to find out the truth behind two missing planes.'

'That's too bad,' said Lily kindly. 'But now you have met them, it would be something to talk about when you get back to school.'

'Whoever's going to believe that we've seen talking trains?' said George scornfully. 'They'd think we were making it up, especially my father!'

'That's nonsense, George!' said a firm voice behind them, making all ten children and Tim jump. They spun round and saw Duck, who'd pulled into the station unawares. 'I bet there isn't a single person in England who doesn't know who we are. If your friends don't believe you, you can always tell your father, and he can verify it because he's a friend of the Fat Controller's.'

'But it all sounds...' Julian began, and then stopped himself. He'd been about to say 'terribly far-fetched', but somehow he couldn't. Before he, Dick and Anne had met George and Timmy, he would gladly have said just that, but now that they'd shared so many fabulously exciting adventures together, he now felt that anything – even the idea of talking railway engines – is possible!

'Come on, children,' said Duck. 'I'm to take you to Haultraugh and the beach. There's brilliant bathing there, and I'm sure you can all do with a bit of sea breeze.'

'You bet!' cried David, leaping into the front coach. The others jumped aboard after him, and once the other passengers had boarded, they set off. The journey took ten minutes, and, once the children had called goodbye to Duck, they seized their backpacks and tore down the high street to the beach.


	16. A Spot Of Planning

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

_**A spot of planning**_

The sands of Haultraugh were quite crowded, for this was obviously the height of the tourist season. However, it took the children no time at all to find a spot and set their bags down. They had all wisely donned bathing costumes before leaving Francisco House. Now they dragged off their shoes, socks, jeans and jerseys and tore down the sand into the sea, Timmy trying frantically to keep up. The water was deliciously cold, and all ten of them splashed, shouted and swam, just as they'd done at the Skarloey Lake the day before.

It was some time later as they sat on the beach alongside their bags that the Franciscos brought up something the Five had wanted to do since that morning.

'Do you chaps still want to try and get into Bosworth Manor?' asked Justin, speaking in so casual a tone that the Five had to look into his face to see if he was being serious.

'Yes,' said Dick at once. 'You said you could help us get in. How do you normally do it and can we get in today?'

'Well, we'll have to save telling you until we actually get there,' said David. 'Someone may hear us if we discuss it here. But the answer is yes, we can go today. I heard Edward's driver saying that the Belvederes are going over to the mainland on "business" and won't be back until late tonight.'

'But what do we do once we're inside?' said George.

'What else _can_ we do?' said Julian. 'We take a good look round, and if we find anything unusual, we know that Belvedere's up to no good. If not, then he isn't, and we just leave him be.'

'But how do we get there?' asked Anne. 'That house must be about fifty miles away!'

'Well, we get Bertie or a train to Tidmouth, and then we take James' stopping train,' said Alex. 'That train goes from Tidmouth to Crovan's Gate and back again. The station nearest to Bosworth Manor is Maron, so we can just as easily jump on a train if the worst comes to the worst.'

'We aren't going to set off at once,' said Charlie, reading Julian's thoughts. 'We'll have to have something to eat, of course. And then you should do what almost every child visitor to Sodor feels they must do when they go to the seaside.'

'But we've already done what everyone does when coming to the beach,' said George. 'I should think we have bathed and swum for at least an hour, and I suppose there are ice cream stands every hundred yards along this beach.'

'Not that sort of pastime, silly,' said Lily, pointing up the beach. 'Look!'

Everyone looked, and there, less than ten metres from where they sat, stood Trevor the Traction Engine. He had a sturdy-looking wooden seat bolted to his bunker, and his driver, Jem Cole, stood proudly at his side, his upturned hat in his hand and a crowd of children already clamouring for a ride.

'Of course!' cried Dick, leaping to his feet before he knew what he was doing. 'Trevor did say he simply loves giving children rides, and I suppose – being honoured guests to Sodor – we might be allowed to ride for free! Come on, let's bag a space, quick!'

'Hold your horses, Dick!' said Julian, reaching up and yanking his brother back onto the sand. 'We must let other children get the chance to have a ride. It would be most impolite to barge into the queue and ask for a ride, even if we are guests here! Anyway, it's perfectly true that we need something to eat. I vote we go and have lunch first, then come back later when the queue's a good bit smaller.'

Everyone thought this a great idea, so they grabbed their bags and set off along the promenade to a cafe that wasn't too full, which allowed dogs, and whose prices were very decent indeed. The ten of them chose a table on the terrace overlooking the sea, and ordered sandwiches, cakes and glasses of lemonade fit for a small army. The food was excellent and even Timmy seemed to be enjoying himself as he sat on a much-becushioned chair next to George.

'Well, I don't think I can take another bite,' said George eventually, lolling back in her chair and gazing thoughtfully out to sea and over the sands below. 'Now that we have finished lunch ... I'll be right back.' Without another word, she leapt from her seat, hurried round the terrace to the promenade and disappeared from sight.

'Where's she off to in such a hurry, do you suppose?' asked Alex, staring after her. The others followed his gaze and saw a short, skinny man sitting on a bench a little way away from the cafe, deep in conversation with a taller, sturdily-built man. Even as they watched, George appeared just behind the very bench where the men were seated, crouching down and trying not to breathe.

'They're just talking,' said David, not wanting to pry into other people's affairs. 'Frankly I don't know why they're so special to George, but...' Then he remembered. 'Of course! They're the people George described to us! The ones she saw in that boathouse at the Skarloey Lake!'

'But what on earth are they doing here?' said Anne. 'I thought they would stay on the Skarloey for good and we wouldn't hear from them again.'

'Apparently not,' said Dick, setting his face in a grim line. 'They must be up to something – and it must be to do with what they were up to on that trawler and all those awfully puzzling messages George saw in the boathouse! But what and why?'

Before anyone could answer, the two men got up and walked away from the promenade towards the station. At the same time, George came hurrying, her face flushed with excitement.

'I just saw those men and recognised them from the boathouse!' she said as she joined them. 'I knew they must be up to something. So I listened in and heard one of them saying that there was to be a funeral at the Bosworth Manor Chapel tomorrow, the death of the Belvedere's milkman! But the other said it was just an utter waste! What on earth can it mean?'

'Milkman, funeral and waste,' said Polly. 'And those messages in the boathouse – 'Spilt Milk', 'Load of Rubbish' and 'To the Grave'. They must mean _something_! Those three must be linked.'

'Do you know, I believe they must be talking in code!' said Julian suddenly. 'Otherwise, people would know what they were up to. If they were, then they might be talking about the shipment we saw being made at the beach last night.'

'Of course!' said Alex excitedly. 'It all fits! They must have been referring to a dairy, rubbish tip and funeral parlour! And all three are in or close to Tidmouth. That must be where their base is!'

'Not necessarily,' said Charlie. 'If the base is in Tidmouth, then that would be the first place the police would look, so it has to be further away.'

'I'm placing bets on Bosworth Manor,' said Lily. 'Anyone else agree?'

Everyone did, and then got excited all over again.

'Oh, we simply must go up there at once,' said Anne, getting up. 'Come on, let's catch the next train and go straight there.'

'Wait a minute,' said Julian. 'We have to pay for our lunch first, and there's something else we should do before setting off.'

'What's that?' said Anne.

'Why, ride on Trevor, of course!' said Julian, astonished that Anne could possibly forget. 'David said we can't leave without doing so! It's one of the reasons he was saved from scrap!'

'Well, we've had more rides on Trevor than you could shake a stick at,' said Justin. 'So by rights you're the ones entitled to a ride.'

'I suggest we have a ride first, and then go straight to the station,' said Dick. 'Come on, quick!'

The Five leapt up and ran down the promenade, but not before Julian paid the bill at the cafe's main counter. Timmy ran in circles around their ankles, looking, like the rest of them, overjoyed for the chance to ride on a traction engine. What fun that would be!

Trevor would have taken them for a ride even if they hadn't wanted to. He kept saying that he did love children, and as such giving them rides was one of his favourite jobs. So Jem treated the Five to a fifteen-minute ride aboard Trevor over the sand, laughing and pointing as holidaymakers raised their heads to watch them pass.

Afterwards, everyone voted the ride brilliant, and they told Trevor and Jem as much.

'That was a truly smashing ride, Trevor! Thank you so much!'

'If only we could have another go!'

'If you come to Sodor again, or if we meet again before you leave, then you can,' said Trevor. 'I just love to hear the happy sound of children laughing and enjoying themselves! It's like music to my senses! Do come and see me again. You'll find me at the vicarage orchard on Edward's branch line.'

'We will, you can bet on that,' said Julian as the ten children set off up the high street. 'Bye, Trevor! Bye, Jem!'

'Do we have to get a train straight to Tidmouth?' asked Anne. 'I do want to see more of the engines, but surely we could be out for some fresh air as well.'

'As a matter of fact, there's a road that leads from here, through the woods and then down into Tidmouth,' said Justin. 'We can use the walk to relax and enjoy the scenery, and we can do some more planning on the way with no fear of being heard.'

Julian thought this was rather a sensible thought. If only I'd thought of that, he thought as they followed the road out of Haultraugh.

'I've thought that you lot had best go in instead of us,' said David to Julian. 'Belvedere knows us all too well, but they don't know you lot nearly as well. Also, if you manage to get caught, you will be more likely to be able to talk your way out. You can say something like you were looking for a ball you'd lost. Belvedere will believe anyone as long as he doesn't make a bad impression.'

'We might have to leave the girls at the Big Station,' said Julian, assuming command as always. 'Things might get too dangerous for them.'

David and Justin stopped dead in their tracks, and turned slowly towards Julian.

'Would you care to run that past us again?' asked Justin.

'I said, I think the girls should stay at Tidmouth,' said Julian, coming to a halt a few paces behind them and suspecting nothing. 'This can be too...'

'Are you crazy?' demanded David, staring at Julian as if he couldn't believe his ears. 'Leave George, Anne, Polly and Lily at Tidmouth? We shall do nothing of the sort!'

'Don't talk like that!' said Julian, starting to get rather affronted. 'I tell you, the girls should stay at Tidmouth. They're girls, and...'

'Well spotted, Julian,' said Justin coldly. 'If you haven't anything good to say, then don't bother.'

'They're girls,' persisted Julian. 'And girls have got to be taken care of.'

'That's never stopped Polly and Lily staying with us whenever we go somewhere dangerous like the quarry,' said David sharply. 'Remember what I said about people saying girls can't do what boys can do? Are you asking to be force-fed sawdust, Julian?'

'No I'm not!' said Julian, raising his voice as he tried to make his point clear. 'And if either of you ever go against me, the acting head of this group...'

'Oh, so now you're calling yourself the leader!' said David, raising his voice too. 'Is that why you're getting so pompous all of a sudden? Well, I can tell you right now to stop making idle threats or I'll tell the Fat Controller how very unfair you're being!'

'It's not that,' broke in Dick, anxious both to stick up for his brother and to support his friends. 'It's just that, in the past, Julian has always been our leader on our adventures and he can let power go to his head. He even thinks that girls can't do certain things, _just because they're girls_! Think of that!'

'I don't believe this!' exclaimed Charlie. 'Whatever happened to skill?'

'I'm not power mad!' said Julian indignantly. 'It's just that girls tend to be generally weaker than boys, and I just don't think we should all go to Bosworth Manor! I still say I'm the head of this group, even if you and Justin are the same age as me, David, and I'm trying to do what's best for us all!'

'And since when did _you_ get to tell everyone what to do?' snapped Alex, glaring up at Julian, who was a good head taller than him. 'I thought we were all meant to be equal! That's why we've let Tim sit at the table for meals instead of lapping away in the corner like a normal dog! Who put _you_ in charge of us, Julian? Tell me that!'

Julian stared down at Alex, unsure what to say, if he should try defending himself or not. He had always hitherto thought himself to be the leader of the Five and of any friends they might pick up along the way. But now it seemed he was outnumbered two to one in beliefs about leadership. 'Why do I have to open my big mouth?' he asked himself.

'Look,' said David in a calmer, more reasonable voice. 'I'll make it easier for you. Either we all go to Bosworth Manor – that's boys _and_ girls, and Timmy as well, of course – or we don't go at all!'

'I want to go!' said George at once. 'I don't want to miss out on anything exciting, whatever Julian thinks or says! You should be ashamed of yourself, Julian! I certainly am! Fancy trying to put off an adventure just because you're worried about us _girls_!'

'All right,' said Julian slowly. 'The girls can come. I know how you hate being a girl, George, but that still doesn't stop you being one inside. I'm sorry, David. Girls _can_ do what boys can do, after all.'

'That's more like it,' said David, slapping Julian on the shoulder. 'Now come on, everyone. We've got a manor house to investigate!'

There was no more to be said, so the eleven of them pressed on up the road, which now ran parallel to a forest and gradually sloped downwards towards Tidmouth. None of the children spoke much. Their heads were still full of the argument between Julian and the Francisco boys. For once, Julian and George were subdued, and not once did Julian give out orders, not even when Tim started chasing a flock of sparrows he'd found in a hedge. Everyone knew now that they were all equal, even if the three elder boys saw themselves as leader, so they all thought themselves inclined to do what the leader would do. Right now, though, they had a lot to think about.

At last, they reached the Big Station and walked straight through onto the platform. They only had to wait a few minutes before James arrived, reversing into the station with four coaches and looking as though he'd done this all his life. The children hurriedly climbed aboard, managing to get a compartment to themselves.

'What is that big building over there?' asked Anne, pointing at the shed as the train started away.

'That's the Tidmouth Roundhouse,' said Polly. 'It's where most of the engines sleep for the night, mainly the Big Engines, but also a few shunting engines, and anyone who has arrived at Tidmouth, but cannot return to their own line.'

'I don't remember reading about it before,' said Dick. 'When was it built?'

'Only a few years ago,' said Charlie. 'I suppose the reason it hasn't been mentioned to you before is because the engines prefer to be in more open sheds like that one.' He pointed to a large, open shed with five or six lines. 'They get more fresh air in that shed than in the Roundhouse.'

'Engines can also sleep in that shed if the Roundhouse is full,' said Lily. 'That does happen often, since the Roundhouse only has eight berths.'

The children fell silent, thinking about what might lie ahead at Bosworth Manor. Even Timmy, who in normal circumstances barked as if to contribute his own thoughts, kept quiet as he lay on the seat next to George. He could almost sense what his little mistress's mind was on, and he understood that she was not to be interrupted. Good old Tim! Where would the Five be without you?


	17. Bosworth Manor

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

_**Bosworth Manor**_

Almost before Julian had finished mulling over what the Belvederes might have in that huge house of theirs, he found the train slowly pulling in to Maron Station, and realised that they had reached their destination. They hurried off the train and just had time to wave goodbye to James before the whistle sounded and the big red engine pulled away on the next phase of his passenger route.

The children hurried up the road after David, who knew the way to the house. As he told the Five, he and his clan knew every road on Sodor almost as well as Bertie, so they led the way up the hill towards the manor. They had almost reached the brow of the hill when there was a loud creaking and groaning as the wrought iron gates of the manor swung inwards and a car rolled out.

'It's Belvedere!' hissed David. 'Quick, behind here!' He led the others behind a cluster of bushes by the side of the road. Just as they made it, the car swung out of the gates and down the road right past the children's hiding place! Glancing through the windows, the children could make out Lord and Lady Belvedere on the back seat, both of them looking as angry as they'd ever done! Mr Hamilton squatted over the steering wheel with a look of intense concern on his face. Judging from its hood ornament, the car was a Rolls-Royce, painted midnight black. It made hardly a sound as it sped down the hill and swept round a bend out of sight.

As soon as the coast was clear, the children emerged from the bushes.

'Well, that's Belvedere taken care of,' said Dick. 'But I must say, he does have a smashing car!'

'Yes, a Rolls-Royce Phantom V,' said Julian. 'I recognise the shape. It looked brand new, too.'

'It is,' said David. 'Belvedere only got it a few months ago, and it's become famous in towns all over Sodor.'

'The only other posh car we saw on our adventures was a black Bentley,' said George. 'That belonged to a man who lived in a house much like Bosworth Manor. I don't like that sort of car – they're so smart and rich-looking. It's just a way for their owners to show off how rich they are compared to us!'

As she spoke, the group reached the manor itself. The Five peered through the black iron railings at the front of the house. A yew hedge ran along the remaining three sides, cutting out any chance of a view over the Main Line.

Close to, Bosworth Manor looked very baleful indeed. The huge house was built from grey stone, and the windows were diamond-paned. A gravel drive stretched from the gates to a front door of solid oak studded with nails. The doors and windows had an imposing look about them, as if they were warning the children to stay away. The house's name was formed by hollow bronze letters within a sign that curved over the top of the main gates. A single rectangular letterbox was fastened to the fence, and a padlock as large as Julian's hand was now threaded through the bars on the gates.

'This is a truly dreadful place!' said Julian with a shudder. 'It looks as though it could lunge at you without warning. I'm jolly glad I don't live there!' He glanced at Anne, who was looking rather afraid. 'I think maybe we should go and come back another day.'

'What do you mean by that?' said David, folding his arms defiantly. 'It would be even worse to come back in the dark! Belvedere has jolly sensitive eyes and ears, so even if we entered in the middle of the night and went on tiptoe, he'd still hear us. In any case, we will only have this one chance. Belvedere's going to be back in less than two hours, and once he's back, he's going to stay in that house for the rest of his time here.'

'Believe me, you wouldn't want to meet him down a dark alley,' said Justin. 'He'll knock you out as soon as look at you, or worse still, he might beat you to death with his awful stick. Anyway, who's been in houses like that before and lived to tell the tale? Who's always ready for an adventure?'

'Yes! Let's go in!' cried George, whose eyes were glinting with anticipation. 'Come on, Julian! We've been in so many great adventures before now, one more can hardly hurt! I bet Belvedere has things in there that could pronounce him guilty on the spot!'

'Woof!' said Tim in agreement. Julian realised he was fighting a losing battle and sighed.

'All right, let's go. But before we do, is it safe to leave our bags out here? We can't carry them in and out of the house. They'd wear us down.'

'They'll be in safe hands,' promised Polly. 'We'll make sure no one can see either them or us. We've done it heaps of times before – we know what we're up against.'

'There's something else,' said Julian. 'I think we should go barefoot, because I bet all our shoes are filthy – look at Dick's, for instance! If there's one thing that will give us away when we enter a house, it will be dirty footprints! Plus, if any of the floors are slippery, we'll have better grip.'

'That's a brilliant idea, Ju!' said Dick, already untying his laces. 'I say, this is getting most exciting! Knowing Uncle Quentin, I thought we were in for a boring holiday! But now we know that's impossible if you live on Sodor!'

'I never wanted a dull holiday either,' said Anne, now looking as excited as her brothers. 'I'm as ready as I'll ever be, Julian. Oh, do come on!'

'All right, Anne, don't be impatient,' said Julian, laying his bag, shoes and socks on the grass underneath a nearby bush and gesturing to the others to do the same. 'Right, we're all ready, David. So how do we get in?'

'There's a small door next to the back door,' said David. 'There's a flight of stairs beyond that leads into the cellar. You can come and go via that door, and Belvedere will never know. You go and have a good look round. If Belvedere comes back early, I'll give a loud whistle as soon as I see his car. He could take as long as five minutes to reach the gates from the main road, which should be plenty of time to either hide or get out.'

There was nothing more to be said, so Justin pointed the children to a large hole in the enormous yew hedge that encircled the house. The Five scrambled through and hurried across the lawn to the cellar door, the grass cool against their bare feet. Dick opened the door and the four children, Timmy at their heels and torches in hand, climbed through in single file, closing the door behind them.

They found themselves in a large, cave-like room with stone walls and floors. Opposite them was a wooden cupboard filled with dark bottles set into cubby holes. On the side nearest them, a neat stack of coal lumps climbed to the ceiling. To their left, about a dozen steps rose towards a door that must surely lead into the manor. Julian led the way up the steps. The door wasn't locked, and swung open almost as soon as the handle was turned.

Now the children were in what could only be the entrance hall of the house. The walls were papered crimson, and elegant paintings of elderly, aristocratic-looking people in gild frames hung from each of them. A majestic staircase of dark oak, like the front door, rose to the first floor. Suits of armour – complete with swords and shields – stood guard on plinths or lurked in alcoves. Right next to the cellar door stood a glass-fronted cabinet bearing an array of pistols and rifles hanging on hooks.

'I suggest we split up,' said Julian, by way of breaking the silence. 'Anne and Dick, you can look in the upstairs rooms. George, Timmy and I will look down here. Remember, we're looking for anything suspicious – something that a noble would never own.'

While Anne and Dick hurried up the main staircase, Julian, George and Timmy approached the door of a room directly opposite the one leading to the cellar. They entered a grand drawing room, also with red wallpaper and upper-class portraits. The room was furnished with generously stuffed armchairs and sofas, and a grand piano standing against the far wall. A highly polished mirror hung above a huge fireplace, with a marble mantelpiece bearing a host of ugly, but expensive, vases.

'It all looks awfully posh!' said George, wrinkling her nose in disgust. 'Not at all like the comfort of Francisco House! I wouldn't live here even if I was paid a thousand pounds!'

'I don't think much of it either,' said Julian, examining the vases. 'My guess is that all houses like this have this sort of furnishings, but it just differs by taste.'

George wandered over to the grand piano and peered underneath the raised lid at the strings and hammers within. She walked round to the stool and, without knowing what she was doing, took her place on the stool! Tim watched with interest as his mistress started absentmindedly running her fingers over the keys, then played a few chords as quietly as possible.

'What on earth are you doing, idiot?' hissed Julian. 'Someone could hear us! Anyway, you're...' He broke off, for a loud click had sounded and, to the astonished eyes of the two children and Tim, a section of the wall that included the fireplace and mirror swung inwards to reveal a large, dimly lit chamber cut into the wall!

'Amazing!' breathed Julian. 'A secret chamber that can be opened by playing the piano! Come on, George.' The two of them entered the room with a bemused Timmy trotting at their heels.

'I say, what is all this?' said George as they swung their torches round the grotto.

Julian had been about to ask that very question himself. The chamber contained what looked like three or four huge silver metal boxes with round tapes set behind glass windows. A small wooden chair sat behind a desk that contained a telephone, a small tin of pens and an angle-poise lamp. On the chair sat an old doctor's bag made of brown leather with a brass clasp. An open metal safe set into the wall and an upturned picture lying on the desk told the children that the bag had been kept inside.

'What is that?' said George, gesturing at the boxy contraptions with the tapes. 'I recognise it from the boathouse at the Skarloey Lake, but I couldn't have put a name to it if I tried.'

'You know, I believe that this is a mainframe computer,' said Julian. 'They're quite recent, but mainly used for storing huge amounts of information. They're apparently all the rage in government and big organisations. But what one of them is doing here is anyone's guess.'

George, meanwhile, had picked up the doctor's bag from the chair, and opened it to reveal a thick sheaf of papers, a small first aid kit and an unlit tobacco pipe.

'What do you reckon to this, Ju?' she asked, passing the bag to her cousin.

Julian took out the papers and examined them in the light of his torch. He gave a low exclamation.

'These are diagrams and recordings! Look at this! Details of rubbish collection and milk delivery, times and everything! And the layout of different vehicles – rubbish trucks, milk floats and hearses!'

'I'm sure they're what Mr Taylor was talking about,' said George, who was rummaging in the desk drawers. Suddenly she brought out a heavily written-on sheet of paper, and quickly read it before handing it to Julian. 'Here, you have a look. I don't think I could understand a word from that thing!'

'George, do you know what this is?' said Julian, his voice faint with excitement as he scanned the list. 'This must be the list that the men were consulting together last night. The man in the coat was showing the leader a list of the items from the submarines! Well, unless I'm mistaken, this is it!'

'But how can the shipment possibly be linked to things like rubbish collecting, milk rounds and funerals?' said George, with a look of frustrated disbelief. 'If you ask me, this is all a set-up to try and throw any investigators off the scent!'

'Don't you see, George? They are ways of getting the goods away!' cried Julian, his voice rising slightly with delight as he slowly put it all together. 'I mean, think about it! No one would think twice about looking for stolen goods in a coffin, even if it was empty! The mere smell of a rubbish truck would be enough to rule it out of any inquiries! And from what I've heard, a milk truck is one of the most innocent of vehicles – and there's some tough competition for that, I can tell you!'

'Julian, you're brilliant!' cried George, somehow remembering to keep her voice low just in case there were still servants at work. 'Yes, it all makes perfect sense to me! But I don't think we should stop here. There might be more clues in the other rooms.'

Julian carefully replaced the papers in the bag and, after a short struggle with conscience, decided to take it with him, given that it was now a vital clue. The children left the chamber and George began playing keys on the piano as she tried to remember which one had opened the door. Once she had successfully closed the chamber off after trying about nine keys, they left the drawing room and tried the kitchen, which was right next to the door leading to the cellar.

The kitchen proved disappointing. It was a square, austere room with oak panelling and stone flags covering the floor. The diamond-paned windows looked out over the garden and a small part of the sea, and an ugly wooden draining board and steel sink stood beneath the windows. A small fireplace with a blackened grille set over the unlit coals stood to one side, and on the other stood a small cluster of glass-fronted cupboards full of crockery made of bone china and mother-of-pearl.

A door slit into the panelling opened into what could only be the dining room. This room was almost as richly furnished as the drawing room, with a polished oak table and chairs in the centre and a chandelier dangling overhead. Stone busts of what had to be the Belvederes' ancestors stood in all four corners, and an old-fashioned brass dinner gong stood on the wall nearest them. Of course, this room had a fireplace, mirror and vases, just like those in the drawing room.

The remaining rooms on the ground floor comprised a scullery, parlour and pantry, but none of them revealed anything of interest.

'I don't think there's much else to see,' said Julian, after he and George had scoured these rooms for about a quarter of an hour. 'We've looked all over, and found nothing except this bag. I think we should wait in the hall for Dick and Anne, and then leave before Belvedere comes back.'

At that precise moment, a piercing whistle reached his ears. Julian looked out of the window and gave a loud exclamation!

'It's Belvedere's Rolls-Royce! Belvedere's coming back earlier than we thought! Oh blow! We're doomed if we stay here!'

'Quick, to the cellar!' cried George in a panic. 'Buck up, Ju, for goodness sake! He'll be here in a few minutes! Come on, Tim – this way!'

The two children and Tim dashed from the room and through the cellar door. In seconds, they were through the outer door and scrambling through the enormous hedge to join the others.

Just as George, Timmy and Julian reached the others, they saw Belvedere's Rolls-Royce sweep up the hill and turn into the driveway of Bosworth Manor.

'Where are Anne and Dick?' cried Julian as he pulled on his socks and shoes. 'Don't tell me they're still in there!'

All this time, Dick and Anne were searching through the upstairs rooms. These only consisted of bedrooms, with four-poster beds and thick pile carpets, and bathrooms with pure white walls and baths like miniature swimming pools.

Unlike Julian and George, they had so far been unlucky. The bathrooms only contained soaps and shampoos, and the bedrooms the most luxurious of clothes stored in enormous, highly polished wardrobes. There were three of each room. The first bathroom and bedroom was reserved for his lord- and ladyship, while the remainder were clearly for guests.

After a while, they decided to have a most thorough search of Lord and Lady Belvedere's bedroom, which was of course an en-suite. Apart from an antique four-poster bed and an enormous wardrobe, the room contained a beech-wood desk bearing a pad of paper, a tin of pens and pencils and, beside a big desk lamp, an antique candlestick telephone. Also on the desk were an intricately spun brandy decanter with four wine glasses, a gold box of fat Cuban cigars, an ashtray and a gold cigarette lighter. The room's one window gave a view over the garden and the Main Line beyond. Thick green ivy climbed up the back of the house, reaching up to the master bedroom, and a stout wooden rain tub, full to the brim, stood at its foot.

While Anne went through the desk as carefully as she could, Dick examined the contents of the huge wardrobe.

'Nothing in here,' he reported, his voice somewhat muffled. 'Only big boots and coats like three blankets sewn together. Wait a minute, there's something inside this boot! Oh, no, it's only a wad of banknotes. A very cunning place to hide it, though.'

'The Belvederes always want to sleep in comfort, that much is obvious,' said Anne as Dick emerged backwards. 'I wish I had this much money. I've always wanted a four-poster!'

'I don't,' said Dick, eyeing the bed guardedly. 'I know it's nice to have a lot of money, but not so much that you're cut off from everyone else. Anyway, I bet the bed is the main place for hiding something. We've had a look under the bed, but there's nothing there. But I bet there's something on the canopy above the bed. I can give you a leg up, Anne, and you can look at the top of the canopy.'

Dick took Anne gently under her arms and propelled her upwards to the level of the canopy. Looking across the wide expanse of scarlet silk, Anne caught sight of a sheet of paper, heavily folded, tucked away just underneath folds in the material. She grabbed it and lowered herself down.

'Look at this!' she said excitedly. 'I found it hidden up on top of the canopy!'

'A jolly good hiding place, too!' said Dick admiringly. 'But Anne, I'd be grateful if you'd keep your voice down from now on. We still can't be sure if the house is well and truly empty! Now let's have a look at that sheet.'

Anne opened out the sheet and together, she and Dick pored over it.

Judging by the shape the designer had drawn, the sheet showed a map of Sodor, but neither roads nor rails were marked on it. Instead, there were a series of thick black lines drawn across the map like a spider's web, and there were dots at each end. A fourth, thinner line led from one edge of the island, but all four lines seemed to meet at a point somewhere in the centre of the map. In the top right hand corner was written a single word: 'Doctor'.

'These lines must meet at some point on Sodor,' said Anne. 'If only we knew where, and if it was above or below ground! We will have this case solved in no time! Dick, what are you doing?'

Dick was rummaging in his pocket and pulling out his map of Sodor. He opened it out and carefully placed the sheet Anne had found over the printed map. Then he held it up to the light, and let out a cry of astonishment.

'Anne, the map on this bit of paper matches exactly against the real map of Sodor! Now we know that it's to scale, and that no road or railway on Sodor acts like that! It must be the map of a network of underground tunnels, and they all meet at one point!'

Anne was excited, but then a thought struck her. 'This could well be an outline of some long-forgotten railway on Sodor! One that was ripped up years, maybe even decades, ago! Sir Handel and Peter Sam used to run on a railway called the Mid Sodor. Could this be it, do you suppose?'

'Do you know, I'm not sure,' said Dick thoughtfully. 'It's quite possible, but according to Rex, the Arlesdale Railway was built over the Mid Sodor. It runs along the top of the map, so we know it doesn't extend towards the Brendam part of the island, which is down here.' He pointed towards a part of the island outline that extended from the main body like a finger.

'What about the railway that Skarloey mentioned?' said Anne. 'The Sodor and Mainland, I think it was called. He said it ran up to the port where he first arrived on Sodor.'

'That was in the wrong part of the island, though,' said Dick. 'He said that he was brought directly to Crovan's Gate, and though Crovan's Gate is quite close to the sea, it's too far away from the beach where we saw that shipment. So this map must show the tunnels that Belvedere is using! What a find this is! If we have this with us, Belvedere is as good as jailed!'

Dick was so excited and speaking so loudly that, unfortunately, he drowned out David's warning whistle, and so was unaware of Belvedere's early return until, as he paused to draw breath, he suddenly heard a car pull into the drive outside! At once, he stopped talking and stood stock still, looking panicky. Then, as Anne wondered what had arrested Dick's attention, there came a sound to chill their blood – the creak of the front door!


	18. An Escape, A Discussion And A Shock!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

_**An escape, a discussion, and an awful shock!**_

Dick reacted instinctively. As soon as he heard the front door open, he grabbed Anne's hand and dived for the nearest hiding place – under the four-poster bed! The red silk valance trailing to the floor provided a brilliant camouflage. The space underneath the mattress was about fifty centimetres high, which was perfect for the two children.

As they lay there, catching their breath, there came the sound of creaking wood, which started at ground level, but then grew louder and louder. That could only mean one thing – Belvedere was climbing the stairs! What if he was to enter his bedroom? How were Dick and Anne to get out? As the footsteps drew nearer, they could hear Belvedere's voice, which sounded very angry indeed!

'...cannot show me up that easily! Who does that little cockroach think he is? Has he any idea who he is dealing with? How _dare_ he speak to me like that? How _dare_ he break my stick? Why, I _rule over_ him and his doldrums family!'

'I sympathise your loathing, my lord. That was a most unfortunate incident,' said an Irish voice that the two children recognised as Mr Hamilton's. 'That Sebastian Francisco is certainly an arrogant toe rag, if you'll pardon the phrase. Not only that, but those two brats Julian and George chose to stand up to you – in front of Duck and Edward too!'

'ENOUGH!' snarled Belvedere. 'At any rate, I have told my consulate to personally take care of those children, so we have nothing to fear for now. Then there was that business at Doncaster – a British Rail Class 15 ordered instead of my most distinct request for a Class 50! As we know, a complete waste of time ensued in going and trying to sort it out!'

'But, my lord, at least it's all sorted out now,' said Mr Hamilton. 'I agree it is very inconvenient indeed, but now we are ready to set off tomorrow morning.'

The footsteps stopped and, to Dick and Anne's horror, they heard the door handle turn and the door swing inwards! Two pairs of feet belonging to Lord Belvedere and his companion were revealed strolling into the room and stopping about three feet from the bed. As the door clicked shut, the children could just distinguish Belvedere and Mr Hamilton by craning their necks from under the bed. They didn't dare lean out too far – there was always a chance that Belvedere would find them out!

Belvedere opened the box on his desk and removed one of the Cuban cigars, taking up his lighter at the same time. There came a faint but rapid clicking noise as he turned the lighter on and directed the flame at the cigar tip. The tip glowed scarlet as he sealed the lighter and returned it to the desk. He put the cigar to his mouth, inhaled and puffed out a cloud of dark grey smoke.

'What is important now is that we let our men know that everything is set,' declared Belvedere. 'I will get on the telephone straight away.' He marched over to the desk, and there was the sound of him picking up the telephone and dialling a number. From their hiding place beneath the bed, Dick and Anne could just about see him raise the mast of the receiver while holding the earpiece to his ear, and hear the dialling tone, which stopped after about two or three trills.

'Hello, this is Reginald Belvedere,' proclaimed His Lordship into the receiver. 'The Class 50 has been brought over from the Other Railway, after a little ... misunderstanding. Everything is now set. Kindly tell the rest of the crew that we will be ready to set off at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. If there are any delays, I will find out the person responsible and deal with them most severely. Is that understood? Capital! I shall see you in the morning.'

Belvedere hung up and set the telephone back down on the desk. With a brief clinking of glass, he poured out two glasses of brandy from the decanter next to the telephone. As he turned to Mr Hamilton and handed one of the glasses to him, his voice became a great deal calmer.

'Well, that will be all until tomorrow,' he said, sipping delicately from his own glass while he held his cigar between two thick red fingers. 'And then once we are in southern England territory, it will all be over. I am going downstairs to inform the staff about what is happening. I suggest you accompany me – the staff could prove useful if we are to leave discreetly. I will be relying on you, Hamilton, so do not let me down, and do not even contemplate betraying me!'

'Absolutely not, my lord,' replied Mr Hamilton, his hand holding the glass shaking only slightly. 'I'm not a coward, whatever you may think. I'd rather die than turn you in!'

'Glad to hear it,' barked Belvedere, taking another sip of brandy. 'This is a most strategic and expensive operation, and I have taken extreme care with whom I invite into the secret. I cannot afford to have anyone running away on me or selling us all out, not at this most critical stage! The sooner we leave this island, the better it will be for all of us.'

'Beg pardon, sir,' ventured Mr Hamilton. 'But those children could prove quite dangerous.'

'Fear not, Hamilton,' replied Belvedere evenly. 'One of my men has contact with the Five, such that he knows where they are camping, and will make sure they cause me no harm from now on.'

Dick and Anne exchanged unbelieving looks. One of Belvedere's men knew about them! And if nothing was done, they could do the Five serious harm! But there was nothing they could do! If Belvedere had ordered the attack, then he held all the cards.

'What is important,' went on Belvedere, finishing his brandy and setting his cigar between his teeth, 'is that the plan is absolutely fool-proof! Nothing whatsoever can go wrong, even if those brats think they have us. By this time tomorrow, we shall be starting a new life in the south of England.'

'Yah! Boo! Snubs!' shrieked a sudden voice from outside, making everyone in the room jump violently. Mr Hamilton whipped round and stared at the window as if he couldn't believe his eyes!

'It's him!' he almost shrieked. 'It's the boy from the boathouse!'

'_What!_' roared Belvedere, slamming his empty glass on the desk and stubbing out his cigar. He stared at the window, then charged across the room and stared out at the garden. This must mean that the boy had just made a run for it.

'It is that boy!' he bellowed, his face livid with wrath. 'How I do hate children! I will make that filthy little urchin wish he had never been born! Hamilton, come with me – let us teach him a lesson!'

With that, he charged out of the room and down the stairs, his companion scurrying in his wake. The door slammed. Dick and Anne listened until they were sure they could no longer hear their footsteps, then wriggled out from under the bed and got to their feet. Dick grabbed Anne's hand.

'Listen, Anne,' he said, speaking in a low and urgent voice. 'Belvedere and his friend will be out in the garden for a good five or ten minutes, so now we have to get out of here. As of now, you are not to make so much as a squeak! If you do...well, I don't like to think of it myself! Understand?'

Anne nodded. 'I only hope Belvedere doesn't come back and find us! He can be jolly frightening if he's in a really bad mood!'

'He won't find us,' said Dick, crossing to the door on tiptoe and gently opening it. 'Look, the landing's deserted, and you can hear his voice below us. Right, let's go!'

Hand in hand, the two of them left the room and ran quickly down the stairs, taking care that they trod as lightly as possible, and that they didn't slip or lose their balance. It was as they reached the bottom of the stairs that disaster struck!

Belvedere had only just reached the foot of the stairs, presumably because he had needed to fetch something. Almost as soon as he was out in the hall, he spotted Dick and Anne nearing the bottom of the stairs! At once, his face contorted with rage and he tensed himself, preparing to attack.

'Hey! What are you doing here? Stop right there!' he roared, holding up one large hand like a policeman. 'No child will get in my way! What do you want? Stop, I say! Stop, or else!'

'Don't stop, Anne!' cried Dick frantically. 'Keep going! I'm right behind you!'

With one accord, Dick and Anne put on a spurt of speed and pelted towards Belvedere. Anne deftly crouched down and slid between Belvedere's tree-like legs, whilst Dick turned a perfect somersault over the man's head, landing catlike on the balls of his feet. Then they dashed across the hall and through the door to the cellar. Before Belvedere had gathered his wits and started after them, Dick slammed the door with a crash and shot the bolt home.

As Belvedere hammered on the door and bellowed threats at it, the two children crossed the cellar as fast as they could, and in less than half a minute, they were through the outer door opposite the main door. Finally, they sprinted across the lawn and scrambled back through the hedge, where they were most relieved to find the others waiting for them.

'We thought you would never turn up,' said Alex in greeting. 'What's the matter? You both look like you're being chased!'

'We are! Belvedere's after us!' panted Dick as he and Anne flung on their socks and shoes. 'We've got to hide from him! We've stolen something from his room. We'll tell you what it is later.'

'Well, we can just hide in those bushes,' said David, indicating a cluster of leafy rhododendron and prickly gorse bushes about ten feet from where they were sitting. 'Belvedere is allergic to flowers, so he won't come anywhere near it. Quick now, before he comes out!'

Thus it was that, when a wild-eyed, furious Lord Belvedere burst into his garden a few moments later and looked around him, there wasn't a soul to be seen. He uttered a below of rage and frustration – one that carried even to the Main Line behind and below Bosworth Manor – then turned and stormed back into his house, slamming the door behind him.

As the echoes died away, ten children and a dog emerged cautiously from the bushes, checked that the coast was clear and set off down the hill at a run. They didn't stop until they reached the nearest bus stop, where Bertie the Bus was already waiting.

'Bertie's bound for Elsbridge,' said Polly. 'Come on, quick! Belvedere could still be after us!'

They all leapt onto the bus, Tim somehow managing to board even before them, and two minutes later, with a cheerful toot, Bertie set off, heading for Elsbridge. Half an hour later, they reached Ffarquhar. The children scrambled out and shouted goodbye to the bus as he sped away.

'All right, then,' said David after a short while, once Bertie was out of sight and earshot. 'What is it you found, Dick, that Belvedere was after you for?'

Dick reached into his pocket and brought out the map they'd found in Belvedere's room, which he handed to David. 'I don't think he was after us because of this,' he said. 'I think it was more because we were caught as we were about to leave. Anyway, we found this in His Lordship's bedroom.'

David squinted at the map. 'I don't remember roads like that on Sodor, unless they're roads that were built long before the railways. So it must be some sort of tunnel network. If it is, what do you suppose it was doing in Bosworth Manor?'

'It could be connected to what we saw last night,' said Julian. 'And there's something in this bag that George, Timmy and I have found.' He tugged open the doctor's bag they'd found in the secret chamber and brought out the sheaf of papers. 'Do you see? They are designs and details of three different types of vehicle – milk floats, rubbish trucks and hearses. They must be part of the plan to carry whatever we saw being delivered off the island.'

'They're the last places people would think to look!' exclaimed George. 'I mean, it would be jolly unkind to look into a coffin, even if it's empty! Milk floats look so humble and innocent when they're delivering milk that I'm sure no one would look twice! And I'd like to see the one person who'd brave the smell of a rubbish truck to find stolen goods!'

'There's something else as well!' cried Anne eagerly. 'They all move very slowly indeed, don't they? Well, if they do, that makes them even less suspicious! If they were going at high speeds, they would stick out like sore thumbs! But if they're going slowly, no one will look twice! In fact, if they use hearses, then the police might even clear roads to allow them through!'

'Of course!' cried Julian, giving his sister a congratulatory hug. 'Why didn't I think of that before? Well done, Anne! Brilliant detective work, sweetheart!'

Timmy barked loud and long. He had seen that something had pleased the children greatly, which must surely mean that he was pleased as well.

'This is more like it!' said David happily, patting Tim. 'We're starting to sound more like proper detectives! Now we are all ready to solve this mystery tomorrow!'

'We'll have to,' said Dick suddenly. 'I've just remembered! While Anne and I were hiding in Belvedere's bedroom, he said he was planning to leave tomorrow afternoon...'

'...which is good news for all of us,' broke in Justin.

'...so we have until one o'clock to find the rest of the pieces, and try to stop Belvedere,' finished Dick. 'If we don't, Belvedere will escape and this will all have been for nothing.'

'I wouldn't put it past His Lordship to pull off a stunt like that,' said a voice, making the children jump. For an awful moment, they thought one of Belvedere's servants was somehow here, at Ffarquhar! But then they spotted Thomas, Percy and Toby standing in the three-stall shed a short distance from the platform. They were clearly passing the time until their next trains, and had heard everything that the children had said. It had been Toby who'd spoken.

The children hurried over to them, keen to be able to talk to engines who would believe them readily, and who weren't grown-ups. They felt sure that, if they told the police or the Fat Controller, they would try and take the reins or, worse still, laugh at their story! But if it was the Sudrians, then the children felt that all would be well!

'So, what's been happening?' said Percy as the children crowded round the three engines.

Julian described what had happened at Bosworth Manor and, on an impulse, the shipment that the children had seen being made the other night. Then he showed the three engines the doctor's bag with its contents.

'I recognise that bag!' said Thomas suddenly, peering at it. 'Before Seb met Sam, he worked as the sort of doctor who'd be called to your house if you had a cold or something. And he always carried that bag! I saw him with it so many times that I thought it as much a part of him as an arm or a leg! Of course, he stopped carrying it around when he became a surgeon, but it's definitely his bag.'

'There's more,' chipped in Dick, and he told them what he and Anne had heard whilst hidden under Belvedere's four-poster. When he'd finished, he brought out the sheet of paper they'd found and handed it to his brother. 'Anne found this on the canopy above His Lordship's bed. We believe it was drawn over a map of Sodor, but that it's a network of underground tunnels.'

Julian gazed at the map, while Thomas, Percy and Toby peered curiously at it over his shoulder. Then he folded it up and put it in his pocket. 'I think I'd better take care of this,' he said. 'I know you and Anne found it, Dick, but I am older than either of you, so by rights, I should be allowed to take care of such responsibilities.'

'What about the boy Belvedere and Mr Hamilton saw?' said Toby. 'He was right outside the bedroom window. Do you think His Lordship just had a fit or something?'

'I doubt it,' said Julian. 'I know Belvedere's vile and mad, but I'm sure he wouldn't go round seeing things.'

A sudden thought occurred to George. 'Julian, do you think it could be connected to the boy who was at the Skarloey Lake boathouse?'

'It's quite possible,' said Julian judicially. 'I don't think we can afford to rule anything out completely right now. But for now, I think we ought to concentrate on the bag – that's probably the biggest and most useful bit of evidence we have.'

'But what would Uncle Seb's bag be doing in Bosworth Manor?' said Justin.

'You don't think Belvedere's trying to _frame_ Dr Francisco, do you?' said Anne nervously.

'It's possible,' said David. 'We and the Belvederes do hate each other, after all. This could be a way of settling some sort of score between us.'

Julian reached into the bag once more, and brought out the pipe that had been in the very bottom.

'That's Father's pipe!' exclaimed Alex. 'Don't you remember? When we saw that shipment, just before we left, he said he was looking for his pipe! Well, there it is! It must have planted there.'

'And the people on the beach always referred to the man in the coat as "doctor",' said Charlie. 'It could really have been Uncle directing the shipment.'

'What if Belvedere has nothing to do with it?' suggested Anne feebly.

'Then why would Seb want anything to do with smuggling?' said Percy. 'He always told us that crime doesn't pay! Well, smuggling is a crime, isn't it? And Seb hates crime!'

'Then he _is_ being framed!' cried George. 'This can be quite dangerous! Well, I say we go to the police, show them the bag and map, and say where we got them! The police can take care of it all!'

'Don't be silly,' said Julian, making up his mind based on previous experiences. 'This is _our_ mystery, and _we_ are going to solve it! We don't want grown-ups interfering with what we're doing!'

'And _we_ are going to help you!' said Thomas. 'If you need someone who knows Sodor better than any of you, I'm your engine! I suggest you also try asking Edward, because he's a good bit older than me. The youngest Sudrian children sometimes see him as a fountain of wisdom. But for now, we – that is, me, Percy and Toby – will do what we can to help.'

'Thank you, Thomas,' said George. 'But are you sure you want to help? I said it can be dangerous, and this is Lord Belvedere we're talking about. He hit poor Tim with his dreadful stick, and would most likely have done the same to me if it hadn't been for Julian!'

'Never fear, children,' said Toby. 'We've faced worse characters than Belvedere in our past. Besides, we're all friends now, and friendship is all about sticking up for others.'

Before anyone could answer, Dick's stomach, much to his embarrassment, gave a huge rumble, and everyone laughed. Julian glanced at his watch, and let out an exclamation.

'Goodness! Five o'clock! Time for tea, everyone!'

'I can take you all into Elsbridge,' said Thomas. 'There are some jolly fine restaurants there, and I have to take my last passenger train of the day. Just wait here while I fetch Annie and Clarabel.'

He left the shed, and ten minutes later returned with the two coaches. The children climbed on board and then leant out of the window to wave at Percy and Toby as Thomas set off for Elsbridge. The journey took very little time, much to the children's disappointment, and they were sorry to say goodbye to Thomas when they arrived at the junction. But Julian cheered them up with a fine tea in a teashop that Thomas highly recommended.

However, to their surprise, they found Thomas standing in a siding at the station, taking on water. He was still coupled to Annie and Clarabel, and all three were looking rather disgruntled.

'I thought you were taking your last train,' called David as they hurried over.

'I have,' said Thomas. 'Branch line trains take less time than Main Line ones. Anyway, Edward told me about this diesel who's come to stay at his station for a while. From what I've heard, he's so full of himself! It makes me sick to the boiler!'

Julian thought this a very rude and untruthful way of referring to BoCo. He was about to say as much when Justin said, 'What are you on about, Thomas?'

'There's this new diesel,' explained Thomas. 'Fairly modern, from what Edward told me, painted British Rail blue. He claims his name is Selwyn. But he's just the same as any diesel you'd find on the Other Railway. The whole lot of them make us sick, James especially!'

'But then, why is he here if he's so stuck-up and unpopular?' asked George.

'He said he was needed to take some special train,' said Thomas, looking as though he didn't really care. 'But you know how it is with diesels. We've only had one visiting diesel besides BoCo and Daisy, and even he was sent packing for lying about Henry. But he did give us a jolly good insight of what a typical Other Railway diesel is like. There was also that diesel that came at the same time as Stepney and he was a proper rogue, but left shortly after sucking a bowler hat into his air intake!'

'Where is this diesel working and for how long?' said Dick.

'He isn't working anywhere as such, just staying for the night,' said Thomas. 'He's going home tomorrow with his silly train, and maybe we can have some peace. He's sleeping at Wellsworth for the night, mainly to make sure he'll be able to use a good fuel source, and he just happens to use the same fuel type as BoCo, but also because the Big Engines refused to have him in the Roundhouse after hearing what he's like.'

'A good thing he's at Wellsworth, otherwise he would have had to share mine,' said a voice that the children recognised as feminine. They looked round to see that a large green diesel with yellow stripes and windows along both sides had just pulled into the platform next to Thomas.

Julian knew who it could only be. 'You must be Daisy,' he said. 'David here told us about you.'

'And you are Julian, I suppose,' said Daisy. 'Yes, the Fat Controller spoke a great deal about you Five. We branch line engines have heard all about how you and your family had such grand adventures, coming up against anyone mindless enough to go against you.'

'I only hope the same doesn't happen here,' said Anne with a sigh. 'Somehow we can never get a quiet holiday.'

'Where's the fun in that, Anne?' said David. 'It looks like we have already fallen into an adventure, so I'm afraid it's too late now. And everyone else seems to be enjoying it, so you should too.'

'Woof!' said Tim, thumping his tail on the ballast.

'Oh, do tell!' urged Daisy. 'I'd really like to hear if there's anything I can do to help. Anything for this dear dog of yours, George.'

Thomas explained what the children had said, and what they, along with himself, Percy and Toby, had theorised. 'All this almost certainly links back to the Belvederes,' he concluded. 'The mystery has to be solved before tomorrow afternoon, or we've got no chance of seeking Belvedere out.'

'We have to find out what is going on and how to stop it,' said Dick, sounding determined. 'But we may need help from the other engines.'

'Very well, my dear,' smiled Daisy. 'I can tell Bertie and Terence about it, and Thomas can tell Edward and Duck if he meets them at the Big Station.'

'Just make sure Belvedere doesn't find out we're on his tail,' warned Justin. 'He might decide to leave earlier than planned.'

'I suggest you don't tell the Big Engines,' said George, who still didn't quite trust all of them. 'They might laugh at us, and then go straight and tell Belvedere. That would warn him, and he mustn't be warned, not when we're so close to catching him!'

'We'll make sure only the branch line engines know about what you're planning,' promised Thomas. 'And we'll tell the Big Engines only when we feel that the time is right.'

'They still might laugh at us,' said Anne dubiously. 'Well, Gordon, Henry and James might. This all sounds very impossible, especially if it involves a lord.'

'Oh, I'm sure Donald and Douglas will make sure they believe you, Anne!' trilled Daisy. 'After all, they silenced Gordon and Henry once. You children must have read about it.'

'Yes, but I still don't think we can risk telling them just yet,' said George. 'They might go straight and tell either the Fat Controller or Belvedere. If they choose Belvedere, then that would warn him that we're onto his game, and that's the one thing we mustn't do!'

'I'm sure it's safe to tell the Fat Controller,' said Julian. 'After all, it's in his interest to believe us, because he's old friends with your father, George. Besides, it's quite likely he'll want to help us – he's certainly in the right position to do so.'

'Highly likely, Julian,' bragged Thomas. 'He'll probably send out a message to Sodor's most experienced engines, myself for example, to keep a special eye on Belvedere. And it must be a very sure-wheeled engine, one who's never got into a fix before.'

'Funny you should mention that,' said Daisy guilelessly. 'But I remember an engine with that name who paid an unexpected visit to the stationmaster's house in the early morning. As it happens, it's that engine I have to thank for being here now!'

Thomas blushed. 'Well, I rather think I've redeemed myself in the Fat Controller's eyes.'

'Well, at least you gave Donald and Douglas their second rescue mission since coming to Sodor, Thomas,' grinned Dick. 'From what I've read, they were the ones who pulled you out!'

'They were just about to be repainted blue as well,' put in Alex. 'Father told me that they were just waiting in the Tidmouth paint sheds for their new coats when the Fat Controller sent them to Ffarquhar to help Thomas – and from what I was told, he wasn't at all pleased!'

The children laughed, while Thomas looked rather embarrassed.

'Never mind, Thomas,' said Julian. 'We think every engine on Sodor should have the right to help us, no matter what they've done wrong in the past.'

'Well, don't count on engines like James or Duncan being asked or even volunteering to help,' said Thomas. 'They might well complain or let things go to their smokeboxes! But I feel sure Edward and the twins will want to help – a few others might as well.'

'We'll do our best,' said Daisy loyally. 'But now if you'll excuse me, I have some passengers to collect. Goodnight, children! Calm down, Tim dearest, I'm not going forever! See you tomorrow.'

As Daisy pulled out of the station, a rumbling sounded overhead. Everyone looked up to see the sky laden with dark clouds rolling relentlessly inland, blotting out the sun and darkening the landscape.

'There's going to be a storm,' said Polly. 'We've never had the weather change this quickly!' As she spoke, a second distant roll of thunder built in volume before dying away again.

'Don't panic, chaps!' cried Thomas, quickly sizing up the situation. 'I can take the Franciscos to the Big Station so that they can catch Edward's fast train. You can give the bag to David, Julian – Seb and Sam can figure things out for you in the morning! Go quickly, children! It shouldn't take more than an hour if you get your skates on! See you tomorrow!'

The Five waved goodbye to their friends and set off, the sky growing darker with every passing minute. They had to walk quickly up the road to their camp, which seemed longer than it actually was. But at last, they reached the stile into their field without mishap.

'I hope our tents are all right,' fretted Anne as they climbed over the stile in turn. 'We've left them there for two days. Anything could have happened in that time!'

'Fiddlesticks!' said Dick, setting off up the slope. 'What's the worst that can happen? No one's been near our tents to our knowledge. Don't worry, Anne. They're perfectly fine!'

But when they reached the crest of the hill, a dreadful surprise awaited them. Their tents had been pulled down! They both lay forlornly on the grass! Large grimy footprints across the canvas told the dreadful tale! The children stared at the tents in consternation! What a terrible thing to happen – right at the end of such an exciting day!

'Who could have done such a thing?' cried Julian in despair, kneeling down and checking the tents for damages. 'Our tents have been perfectly safe for two days – Belvedere can't have known where we are camped – but now they have been pulled apart! But who?'

The others couldn't answer, because they were so caught off guard! Tim sniffed at the sabotaged tents and whined softly. He could clearly see that something had upset the children, so he was upset too! As Julian straightened up, his checks done, there came a second, louder rumble of thunder and a big drop of water fell from the sky onto his outstretched hand.

'The storm's going to break any second now!' cried George, panic-stricken and at a loss, even for her. 'And here we are, with no shelter, and our tents dismantled! Oh Julian, what _are_ we going to do?'


	19. The Tidmouth Roundhouse

CHAPTER NINETEEN

_**The Tidmouth Roundhouse**_

Julian didn't say anything. He was angry with himself for not taking care of the others as well as he should have. He was always the one in charge, organising trips, making plans, sticking up for others, and now this! How could he have been so stupid as to leave their tents in the open air where anyone could have come and knocked them over like this?

'We're going to have to sleep somewhere else,' he said at last, as three or four more raindrops fell from the sky. 'We can't sleep here, that's certain. The weather's getting worse, and I doubt that the woods will be a very good place.'

'But _where_?' wailed Anne. 'Francisco House is miles away, and we can't sleep outside!'

Julian thought hard, and then the answer hit him. 'I know! The Tidmouth Roundhouse! Only steam engines sleep there, and they're bound to feel even a little bit lonely, especially on a night like this! We can get there in less than an hour if we hurry.'

'We'll have to pack the tents first,' said Dick. 'I don't think we should leave them here any longer – they might get chopped to pieces, or struck by lightning.'

So, as quick as they could, whilst the weather slowly intensified, the children bundled up the tents and George and Julian strapped them to their rucksacks. Then, after making sure they had left no evidence that they had been there at all, they set off down the hill at a run.

By now, the rain was positively pelting down, and the clouds were a boiling mass of dark grey. The Five were already drenched to the skin and frozen. The rain drove into their faces, half blinding them and making it difficult to talk.

'This way!' shouted Julian, pointing along the road. 'We have to go along the road a bit till we come to the footpath! We should be safe after that!'

The words had hardly left him when two headlights stabbed the darkness and a car sped down the lane, heading in their direction. As it passed them, it drove through a big puddle, sending a sheet of muddy water flying all over the four children. Timmy was not affected, but he understood the seriousness of the situation and whined softly, only to be muted by the wind.

Anne began to cry. George too felt tears appear in her eyes, but blinked them away, ashamed. Dick put his arm round his little sister.

'Don't worry, Anne,' he said, half-shouting over the rain and wind. 'I'm sure whoever is in the Roundhouse will let us sleep there. We'll be all right once we get to Tidmouth.'

Anne nodded and dried her eyes. Then they turned off the road and down the footpath, all the while following Julian's lead. The path was soft and boggy underfoot, bearing puddles like display ponds. The trees dripped rainwater from their branches, almost as if they were crying as well as George and Anne. Sadly, none of the trees provided any suitable cover, which meant that the children grew colder and wetter with every step they took. Worse still, the thunder rumbled, the lightning flashed, and the wind shrieked through the trees. So it was almost impossible to speak properly and each blinding flash sent a chill down each child's spine. It was a most unpleasant walk!

You can imagine the children's relief when, as they rounded a bend in the path, the trees fell away and they came in sight of brick buildings and bright lights. They had reached Tidmouth Yard! And there was the Roundhouse, with light flaring behind its windows through the darkness and rain! The sight of it lent the children new strength and they hurried across the tracks towards the main doors.

'What if the Big Engines are in there?' said George suddenly when they had reached the doors. 'I'm not sharing a shed with them! If they are there, Tim and I will be spending the night in one of the waiting rooms! They're bound to be empty at this time of night.'

'Don't be silly,' said Julian. 'They'll be freezing around this time! Even if they were empty, the only place to sleep would be either the benches or the floor, and they'll both be jolly uncomfortable.'

'B-besides, this shed has s-steam engines inside!' said Dick astutely, through chattering teeth. 'And boys c-can't get enough of s-steam engines! D-don't you want to b-be a b-boy, George?'

'I hope Duck and Edward are there,' said Anne, who was starting to shiver as well as Dick. 'They're kind and wise. I'm sure they would make jolly good shed-mates.'

The rain and wind were starting to slacken off, and from inside the shed, the children could hear voices speaking in low tones – not just one voice, but several! This was very encouraging indeed for them all! They seemed to be discussing the storm, or maybe the day's events. It was hard to tell, but Julian assumed it was a mix of both. At any rate, the boy drew himself up to his full height and rapped smartly on the shed door.

The murmured conversation inside the shed stopped abruptly. There was silence, then more whispering, and then an uncertain, but familiar, voice called 'Who's there?'

'That's James' voice!' said George sullenly. 'Well, that's it. I'm going to sleep in one of the rooms in the station, and I shall take Tim with me.'

'Hold on,' said Dick, reaching out to halt his cousin. 'There might be more decent engines inside, like Edward or BoCo. Just give it a chance, why not.'

Julian turned back to the door and spoke into the gap. 'It's Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy.'

'What do you want?' asked James, after another pause.

'Our tents have been torn apart,' said Julian, knowing that they had to get into the warm. 'We need somewhere to sleep for the night. Could you please let us sleep in the Roundhouse with you?'

His question was followed by another burst of whispering. The children caught random phrases such as '...would never approve...', and '...awful to turn them away...' At last, they heard a voice that made them all feel dreadfully comforted – Edward's voice!

'Very well, children,' he said. 'The main door is locked, but there's a red fire door round the back which never is. You can come and sleep in here, and you won't need a password or anything.'

'There you are, George,' said Dick. 'If Edward's in there, it's good enough for us. And if it's good enough for us, it's good enough for you too. What do you say?'

'All right,' said George. 'Let's go in and get out of this rain. I'm tired of standing in a puddle.'

The Five hurried round to the rear of the shed and quickly found the door that Edward had described. Julian pushed it open and they all crowded in, the door banging shut behind them.

It was as the children collected their thoughts that they examined the shed interior. It was vast, with a maze of rafters supporting the ceiling and huge steel lamps hanging above each berth. A round turntable sat in the middle of the shed, providing access to all nine tracks, the ninth being the one leading to the main doors. The rain was rapping against the roof and the thunder was just a faint rumble. As they took this in, the Five became aware of eight pairs of eyes on them, and looked up to meet the dumbstruck stares of Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Duck, Donald, Douglas and BoCo!

'What in the name of Sir Nigel Gresley is going on?' demanded Gordon, finding his tongue at last.

Julian, after looking down at himself and the others, could see why the engines were so shocked to see them. All four children were drenched to the skin and caked from chest to shin in dark-brown mud. Timmy, glad to be somewhere dry more than anything else, trotted forward and shook himself, giving a fine shower bath to the children and to Duck and James, who were nearest.

'Are you all right?' asked Edward, in a far gentler tone filled with concern as Dick peeled off his sodden jersey and wrung it out as best he could. 'You all look frozen to the marrow! What on earth has happened?'

Julian hesitated. He was aware that Gordon, Henry and James might not believe him, but anything was worth a try. So he told them about how they had reached the camping ground to find their tents in a mess, and their decision to sleep in the Roundhouse for the night.

There was silence when he'd finished. Then...

'Disgraceful!' fumed Gordon.

'Disgusting!' contributed James.

'Despicable!' exclaimed Henry.

'Well, it's probably too late to try and set up camp somewhere else, not when it's raining trucks and coaches,' said Duck. 'I'm sure children like you have always dreamt of sleeping in a shed like this. So we'd be happy to have you here. It's not often we Sudrians get children in our shed for the night!'

'The Fat Controller would never approve,' objected Gordon. 'Main Line engines like us shouldn't have children as shed-mates. It would be most unhealthy! Children should sleep in beds, not on cold stone floors.'

'And another thing,' said Henry, supporting his friend. 'We've heard that these children have been trespassing at Bosworth Manor. If Belvedere finds them here, there's no knowing what he'll do!'

Just then, Dick and Anne both sneezed loudly.

'What are we doing?' said BoCo dramatically. 'We mustn't just stand here quarrelling! We must do something for these poor children before they catch cold!'

'Well, children, there are some old blankets by that workbench over there,' said Edward. 'You can change and dry off in the corner. If you like, you can bring the bench over and sit on it while we talk.'

The children hurried into the corner and emerged after a few minutes in clean, dry clothes. Julian crammed their filthy, soaked clothes into an empty carrier from inside his pack. Then Julian and Dick brought over the bench, which they set between James and Duck, and the four children perched on it to talk to their friends. Before sitting down herself, George made a big show of towelling Timmy dry.

'He's just a dog!' said James as George finally sat down with Tim sitting happily at her feet. 'What's so special about a dog?'

'He's _my_ dog,' said George emphatically, treating James to the sort of look given to people who say things like 'What's so bad about scarlet fever?' 'And I would die before letting him down. Thank you very much, Edward! You're so kind!'

'You're very welcome, George,' said Edward. 'Now, about where you're going to sleep...'

'Oh, will we have to sleep on the floor?' asked Anne glumly. 'I hope we don't. It doesn't look at all comfortable!'

'Heaven forbid, Anne!' chuckled Edward. 'As a matter of fact, I was thinking of our own engine cabs. They're normally kept nice and warm for at least an hour after the fires go out. I thought Julian could sleep in Gordon's cab, Dick could sleep in Henry's, Anne could sleep in James' and you, George, can sleep with Tim in my cab.'

'I say, that sounds a first-rate idea!' said Dick. 'But will you mind having children in your cabs?'

'Certainly not!' said Gordon. 'We're perfectly used to renting out our cabs. The station cat comes here sometimes and chooses one of our cabs when the nights are especially cold.'

'I only hope Timmy doesn't tip you over when he gets in your cab, Edward,' said James, glancing at Timmy. 'He's so big that I'm sure he could overturn even the most stable of trains! Georgina, what have you been feeding that dog of yours? From what we've heard, he seems to eat like a horse!'

George glared at the red engine. 'I have NOT been overfeeding Tim! He just eats enough to keep him going, that's all! And let me tell you, if it wasn't for Tim, we might be left in a dungeon somewhere to rot! He's saved our lives more than once, and he is such a loyal and heroic dog!'

'Amen to that,' said Edward, and George beamed ecstatically as BoCo and Duck agreed.

'There's just one other thing,' said Julian. 'How did you know we'd been to Bosworth Manor?'

'Thomas tauld uz aboot whit ye've been up tae at Bosworth Manor,' explained Donald. 'He said that ye'd foond Seb's auld bag wi' yon papers, an' that they maun hae been put thare as a wey of framin' oor freend. We think ye've a' doon verra weel in yer wee screenge o' yon house!'

'Thank you,' said Julian. 'But Dick and Anne almost got caught, so Belvedere must surely know we're on his tail. We might get sent home for upsetting His Lordship, and this will all have been for nothing! This mystery must be solved by tomorrow afternoon, or Belvedere is out of reach for good!'

'It's gled tae be rid o' him we'll be!' remarked Douglas. 'Yon cad haz ne'er gi'en uz a fair chance, an' his guidwife's juist as bad. Wi' onie luck, he'll be oot o' oor lives foraye this time tomorroo, an' gif ye dae yer duity, in a teuch prison cell an' aw.'

'But what can we do?' said Anne. 'We might be sent home tomorrow, and Belvedere will almost certainly be covering his tracks.'

'Come on, Anne,' said Julian, putting his arm round Anne's shoulders. 'We _can_ solve this mystery! We've faced bigger problems than this before. A mystery is rather like a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces look queer on their own, but when they come together, they make a clear picture. We just need the evidence to show to the Fat Controller and the police.'

'That reminds me!' said Gordon suddenly. 'Thomas said that you witnessed a shipment two nights ago. Kindly tell us about it. It may help prove what's going on if we're to explain this to the police.'

Dick and Julian described what they had seen at the beach on the night the shipment had been made. They finished by telling the engines that the man in the overcoat, although he was addressed as 'doctor', had spoken with a Spanish accent, hinting that he might have been _pretending_ to be Seb!

'If Belvedere wants Seb framed, the man could just as easily be working for either Belvedere or Seb,' said James eventually. 'That way, he could be some sort of leak between the two men.'

'Yes, and he must be someone who meant to be above suspicion,' said Julian. 'Well, we can't think of anyone like that. We may have to look over Francisco House tomorrow, if we go in that direction.'

'You say the lorries somehow disappeared?' said Henry. 'That's just silly! Lorries can't just vanish into thin air! Can they?'

'We thought so, but Alex said there wasn't a trace of them when he looked,' said Dick. 'But there must be, I tell you! The lorries simply cannot be anywhere else!'

'Then that's the first place to start tomorrow,' said George, her eyes agleam with anticipation. 'We'll have a good look round that beach – search it from top to bottom! There must be the entrance to some sort of passage! Otherwise where would the lorries have gone?'

'That's the spirit, my lad,' said BoCo with a chuckle. 'I suppose we had better all try and keep an eye on His Lordship in case he tries to throw people off the scent by leaving early or setting up some sort of decoy. After all, he did catch Dick and Anne in the act, and he'll know now that we're onto him. So he might try to leave some other way to what he's planned.'

'That sounds just like him!' said Julian. 'We can't afford to let him slip through our fingers! But how can we watch him if we can't let it slip that we're onto him?'

'That's easy!' said Duck. 'Leave it to us. All we do is watch different parts of the island – a few engines watch Tidmouth Station, a few watch the Main Line and Bosworth Manor, and so on.'

Julian wasn't sure. If one engine tried to keep track of Belvedere, then there was a very good chance indeed that Belvedere wouldn't suspect them. But for eight, and probably more, engines to play the part of watchmen might make Belvedere feel threatened, and he might decide to leave a little earlier than planned! How he wished now that they had told the police, and left it to them!

'We don't have to _look_ like detectives,' said Edward, as if reading Julian's thoughts. 'We just have to play watchman while doing our own work. That way, we can keep tabs on Belvedere, and he won't suspect a thing! Then you children can investigate further and tie everything up in good order!'

'Oh, Edward, you're a seven day's wonder!' cried Anne. 'I wish I was as wise and brave as all of you engines!'

'Nothing to it,' boasted James. 'What do we care for danger? We just shunt it aside!'

'But what about us?' said George. 'If Belvedere plans to get away tomorrow, he might report us to the police that we broke into Bosworth Manor. For all we know, he could be there right now!'

'Och, dinna fash yersel', bairns,' said Donald. 'Ye're all verra kempy an' cliver, an' I'm shuir ye can suin tauk yer wey oot o' scrapes wee an' muckle. We ken whit ye did an' why, an' we can support ye. The poliz an' the Fat Controller wadnae wan' tae mak ye meeserable – naither wad we. Sae they maun gie ye anither chance.'

'Awthing will be awricht,' said Douglas. 'Ye hae yon braw dug, Timmy, and we're shuir ye can rely on him tae help ye oot o' ticht neuks. Bit that shoudnae be a bather. Houpefully, the mystery will be solved tomorroo, an' Belvedere will be gane fer guid. We'll help ye a' tae the en', aiven if we dae get intae tribble wi' the poliz.'

The Scottish Twins caught one another's eye, and solemnly proclaimed to the whole shed, 'Laird Belvedere, ye can tak oor railwey, ye can tak oor lifes, ye can tak oor freends, but ye'll ne'er tak oor freedom!' A lusty cheer went up from the remaining six engines.

Julian shook his head in mock exasperation. 'What do you think of that? You wait for ages to get one helper, and then eight come along at once!'

Suddenly, George leapt to her feet with a cry of shock and pointed to the window nearest the door.

'Someone looked in!' she shouted.

'Don't be daft, Georgina,' said Henry.

'I'm not!' said George, running to the window. 'I tell you, someone looked in! Who can it be?'

Julian, Dick, Anne and Tim joined her at the window. At first, with the darkness and slackening rain, the children couldn't make out very much at all. Then a shape came into view in a puddle of light from a yard lamp, and all five of them saw it!

'It's someone in a wheelchair!' cried Julian. 'Look! You can see it quite distinctly!'

Sure enough, the others could make out an old-fashioned wheelchair with an unsavoury middle-aged man seated in it. The man seemed to be waiting for something, but he had his back to the Roundhouse, so that the children couldn't make out very much of his face.

'What does he look like?' said Anne, who couldn't see as well as the boys.

'Reddish hair, balding,' said Dick, squinting into the yard. 'Sticking-out ears and pale skin. Dressed in a black suit and suede shoes. He doesn't look a very healthy chap to me.'

'Red hair and big ears?' said Duck suddenly. 'I've heard of someone with those traits – but the man matching them fell to his death from Culdee Fell. Are you sure you've got it right?'

'I see him too!' cried Anne. 'Yes, there's the hair and ears. But we're seeing him from the back – he must be heading somewhere.'

Julian turned slowly to Duck and gazed at the Great Western engine in amazement. 'That man died on Culdee Fell? Do you mean to say, that was _Gerald__ Reaper_?'

'Yes,' said Duck. 'I suppose Edward told you about what happened to him. Anyway, it can't be him because he died months ago!'

'But we all saw him!' said George fiercely. 'He was right there, in the yard! And I'll have you know I never tell untruths! You can ask Mother!'

'All right, we understand,' said James. 'Maybe that's something else we can look into tomorrow.'

'Haud yer wheesht, awbody!' ordered Donald as Timmy suddenly commenced growling. 'Yon Timmy can hear something. There's somebody ootby the shed, I'm shuir o' it.'

Children, engines and Timmy all stopped arguing and listened hard. Yes, there was the sound of feet crunching on the ballast in the dark yard outside! Who on earth could it be?

'It's comin' roond the side o' the shed,' whispered Douglas. 'Whasomiver it is, it micht weel chap on the fire door ony meenit.'

Tap! Tap, tap!

The sound of frantic knocking echoed through the Roundhouse, and the four children jumped nearly out of their skins! The Main Line crew, as one engine, stared transfixed at the fire door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in.


	20. A Great Surprise, And Another Shock!

CHAPTER TWENTY

_**A great surprise, and another shock!**_

Tap, tap, tap! There it was again!

'Who is it?' hissed George. 'Do you think it could be Belvedere?'

'I don't know,' said Julian. 'But I think you ought to hide just in case it is Belvedere. Quick, behind BoCo!' He shepherded Anne and George behind the big green diesel, hidden from the sight of the fire door, while he, Dick and Timmy stood either side of the fire door, leaving the engines lost for words.

'What are you doing?' breathed BoCo, gazing round at the children in perplexity.

'I'm not taking any chances,' whispered back Julian. 'If it is Belvedere out there, he's in for a jolly big surprise when he tries to get in!'

Hastily composing himself, Edward cleared his throat and called, 'Who's there?'

'It's me,' said a voice simply. It sounded vaguely familiar to the children, who exchanged glances.

'Have we heard that voice before?' asked Dick. 'It sounds jolly familiar to me! What do you think, Julian?'

'I'm sure I've heard it before,' said Julian pensively. 'But I can't quite put my finger on it!'

'Who's me?' asked Henry, in response to the disembodied voice.

'Let me in and you'll find out,' said the voice rather impatiently. 'I just want to see Julian and Dick, but especially Dick! Please let me in – it's freezing out here!'

Julian and Dick exchanged worried looks across the fire door. Why on earth should someone turn up at the Tidmouth Roundhouse in the dead of night to see them? And how did they even know they were there?

'What do you want?' demanded Gordon. 'How do you know they're here?'

'Let me in and you'll find out,' said the voice.

The engines looked at one another, but then decided, without actually saying it, that the best thing to do for now was to let the person in, whoever he or she was.

'All right!' called James. 'Come in!'

The door opened, and there was a brief whistle of wind and hiss of rain. In that instant, a figure stepped over the threshold. It was a boy to the engines' eyes, who looked as though he'd been outside for far too long. But before they could make out anything more, Julian gave a great shout of 'Now!'

As one, he and Dick leapt from their hiding places and grabbed the boy as firmly as they could. The boy yelped, and struggled like a moray eel, but both Julian and Dick continued to hold him in an iron grip. Timmy barked eagerly and tried to join in the fight as best he could.

'Losh sakes!' ejaculated Donald. 'Juist leuk at thaim teckle yon incomer!'

'Gae tae it, laddies!' encouraged Douglas. 'Dinna gie up, gae it tae him!'

And then something completely unexpected happened!

'Look here! What's your game, Dick?' demanded the boy in a muffled voice. 'Is this how you greet old friends nowadays?'

Anne and George had emerged from behind BoCo to see if they could help. Now they, along with the engines, gazed in astonishment as the boys slowly and woodenly loosened their hold on the visitor. Now that he wasn't being manhandled by Julian and Dick, they could all make out the boy's features quite easily.

The boy was about Dick's age and height, with a shock of frizzy, unkempt hair, dressed in a filthy skirt and filthier jersey. Right now, the boy was soaked through and shivering slightly. His dark eyes, filled with mingled fear and relief, stared out from a grimy face that bore a great many freckles. A pair of worn rubber shoes clung to the boy's stockinged feet.

It took the Five about twenty seconds to recognise the boy, and even then they couldn't be certain that it was who they thought it was. Then George suddenly grabbed Julian's arm and let out a little shriek of astonishment.

'Julian! I-I don't believe it! It's – JO!'

At these words, the boy threw his arms round Dick, hugging him tightly.

'I'm so glad to see you!' he cried. 'Are you all right, Dick? What's been happening?'

Dick was too shocked to think straight, but he put his arms round the boy and hugged him back.

'All the better for seeing you here, Jo!' he grinned. 'But where on earth did you come from? How did you know we would be here?'

'What on Sodor is going on?' cried James, who, like the other engines, had watched all this in utter bewilderment. 'Dick, Julian, do you know this boy, by any chance?'

'This is no boy!' said Julian, half-laughing at the turn of events as he ruffled Jo's hair. 'This is our friend, Jo! She's a gypsy girl, and we've crossed paths with her about three times already!'

'Weel, weel, weel,' said Donald enthusiastically. 'Thare's a turn up fur the timetables an' nae mistak! Fancy yer auld freend turnin' up like this in the deid o' nicht!'

'It's a wee warld efter a',' said Douglas speculatively. 'Yon brings yer nummer o' meetin's wi' yon lass up tae fower! It's juist ower braw tae be true!'

'But whatever is Jo doing here?' asked Duck.

Jo looked round at him and smiled. 'I'm here on holiday,' she explained. 'I'm staying with my godfather, Mr Crowe. As I found out, his farm is on Thomas' branch line.'

Something that had been bothering Dick for two days managed to make itself heard, and he looked into Jo's face. 'You were at the campsite, the first day we were here!' he cried. 'Anne and I saw you, hiding in those bushes!'

'Yes,' admitted Jo as she and Dick broke apart. 'I arrived on Sodor the day before you did, Dick. Mr Crowe told me that you had arrived the day after that. I didn't believe him at first. Actually, I couldn't, because it seemed so incredible! But he told me where you were camped and I went there to make sure he was telling the truth. And I found that he was! So after breakfast, I went down to Elsbridge just as Thomas was arriving. He looked jolly surprised to see me!' She laughed as she caught sight of the sceptical look on Gordon's face. 'He thought I was George! I've never seen anyone look so stunned! Of course, he said the reason he looked so amazed was because you lot had only just been taken to the Big Station! He only knew I wasn't George when he realised I was wearing a skirt, while George wears shorts!'

Dick and Julian exchanged grins. It had been Jo's pretending to be George that had helped George, Timmy, Dick and Julian escape from the lair of the psychotic Red Tower.

'Enough discussion for the moment!' said Edward firmly. 'Children, do any of you have some spare clothes you can lend to Jo? She looks half-frozen, poor thing!'

Dick and Anne hurriedly pulled open their bags, which were lying next to the bench, and, rummaging about inside it, soon found another change of clothes. They handed these to Jo and, a few minutes later, the girl emerged from the corner, looking fine in a clean jersey of Dick's and skirt of Anne's. Together, the five children sat down again on the bench, with Jo sitting between Julian and Dick and Timmy at George's feet.

'So what happened once Thomas realised you weren't me, Jo?' asked George.

'I told him who I really was and why I was on Sodor, and he explained why he was so surprised,' said Jo. 'It was startling enough for me to see a talking tank engine! But once Thomas knew that he wasn't seeing double, he became jolly friendly and took me down the line and introduced me to Percy, Toby and Daisy.'

'I bet they were all very good about you looking very much like George,' remarked Edward.

'They were indeed, Edward,' said Jo, to a sharp intake of breath from the Big Engines.

'How did you know Edward's name?' demanded James sharply.

'I've heard enough of the Thin Clergyman's stories on the wireless to be able to tell you engines apart,' replied Jo with a light little laugh. 'But don't you worry, James – I come in peace.'

'Whit dae ye mean, ye haurd thaim on the weir-less?' said Donald in surprise. 'Ye maun shuirly hae read the Thin Clergyman's beuks.'

A shadow passed over Jo's face. 'That's just it, Donald. I can't read or write. I never went to school, you see. Gypsies never do have a proper education. Plus, my mother died when I was very small, and my father was arrested a few years ago, so neither of them could have sent me to school.'

'Yon maun be haurd,' said Douglas in sympathy. 'I shoud think that haein' nae paurents and nae eddication is awfu.'

'Thank you, Douglas,' said Jo, her spirits rising a little as she continued her tale. 'Anyway, next day, I asked Mr Crowe if I could go up to the Skarloey Railway because I saw it on a poster at Elsbridge. I arrived at Crovan's Gate a little after lunchtime and came straight up to the lake for a spot of swimming. Lucky for you, George!'

'At the Skarloey Lake!' cried George as a sudden thought struck her. 'Was that _you_ at the boathouse? _You_ threw that stone through the window?'

Jo nodded. 'I saw you lot on the beach with a group of children I didn't know. Then I saw you and Timmy, George, swim out to the boathouse. I knew then that something must be up, so I headed there myself. I arrived just in time to hear everything that those men said. Then I heard that Mr Taylor shout out that there was a boy, and I knew that you and Tim had been seen. So I picked up a big stone from the hedgerow and flung it through the window.'

'What happened then?' asked BoCo.

'The men saw me, and I ran for my life,' replied Jo. 'I tell you, I can outpace any man or boy! I've been doing it all my life! I simply didn't stop running till I reached the station by the waterfall, where I caught Sir Handel's first train down.'

'I don't suppose you know anything about – what happened at Bosworth Manor,' ventured Dick.

'I'm afraid I do,' confessed Jo. 'Next day, this afternoon, I went up to Bosworth Manor on the bus straight after lunch with Mr Crowe. He told me that Lord and Lady Belvedere lived there, and I wanted to see what was so special about that place. I arrived just in time to see Belvedere leave, and I didn't want to waste a possible adventure, so I hung around the yew hedge, hoping he would come back. That was when I saw you lot with those children from the lake.'

'The Franciscos,' said Dick. 'It's all right, Jo, we know them well. Then what happened?'

'I saw you lot go into Bosworth Manor,' went on Jo. 'I waited, and then I saw Belvedere's Rolls-Royce coming back. You and George, Julian, got out okay, but Dick and Anne didn't. At first I thought you were just late coming out, but I knew you were in some sort of trouble. So as Belvedere went in, I ran round to the back of the house and through the hedge. I waited till I saw him appear at his bedroom window, then I ran across the lawn and climbed the ivy to the window. When he saw me, I pulled a face and jeered at him and his Mr Hamilton, and then I ran for it. I almost got caught, but it did the trick, because once I'd got away and when I was heading for the bus stop, I saw you and Anne, Dick, run down the hill away from the manor with the others.'

'But how did you know the children would be here tonight?' asked Edward.

'Well, after what happened at the manor, I felt that I had to show myself to you all,' said Jo. 'So once I'd had supper with Mr Crowe, I asked if I could go up to the Five's camping field and explain things to them, and he agreed. But just as I got there, I saw them walk down the hill in the pouring rain and turn off down the path. I followed them all the way to Tidmouth. I can tell you now, it wasn't an easy task! The path through the woods was a muddy stew and I couldn't even walk under the trees without getting dripped on! I didn't know what they would say if they knew I was following them, so I had to give them about ten minutes head start. When I finally reached the yard, I peeped through the window of every shed until I saw them in here. But then two men appeared, one of them in a wheelchair, and I had to wait under the bushes, lying in an inch-deep puddle, until they had both gone. Then I darted out, knocked on the fire door, and here I am now!'

A short silence followed Jo's story. The Five couldn't help admiring Jo's bravado once again. Fancy the young gypsy girl who'd helped them three times before turning up on Sodor and acting as their guardian angel! It was just too astounding to be believed!

'Yon's a gran' wee lassie ye hae fur a freend, Dick,' said Donald at last. 'Bit I'm a-feared yon men mey come leukin' fur her, and uz wi' nae steam tae whissle fur help!'

'Don't you worry about that,' said Julian. 'Even if we're all fast asleep, I'm sure Timmy will hear and sniff out any man who comes within two hundred yards, his ears and nose are so sharp! If he finds out that they're enemies, he'll go for them like an arrow from a bow!'

'Aye he will, Julian,' said Douglas. 'It's tae mak ye a' walcome on Sodor we'd be wantin', sae we will gledly help ye oot if anythin' unpleisant happens.'

'I suppose the question we've got to ask ourselves now is, where is Jo going to sleep?' said BoCo. 'She doesn't look at all fit for sleeping on the floor.'

'That's all right. I can always sleep in Duck's cab,' said Jo. 'I'm just about small enough to fit inside if I lie down. You don't mind, do you, Duck?'

'Of course not, Jo,' smiled Duck. 'In fact, as I recall, we've arranged for the Five to sleep in all the Big Engines' cabs. But I suppose you'd like to stay with the Five tomorrow morning.'

'You bet!' said Jo, casting a rather beseeching look at Dick. 'Anything for my safety and theirs! Where are you lot planning on going tomorrow anyway?'

'We're planning on delving into this mystery and solving it once and for all,' said Julian. 'I think we should wait until we meet up with David and the others before we make any definite plans.'

'Are you hungry, Jo?' asked Dick suddenly, feeling that the whole conversation was making all of them rather peckish.

Jo's eyes gleamed eagerly. 'I'm starving, Dick! Do any of you have something I could nibble on?'

Then Julian remembered. 'Of course! We've got food in our bags! We stocked up the first day we came. We'll feed you up, Jo, and I think we all ought to have something to eat as well.'

'Absolutely!' said Dick at once, reaching into his pack. 'All this exciting talk makes one hungry! Now, what have we got? Ham, cheese, tinned peaches, chocolate, hard boiled eggs, a small loaf of bread, a big bone for Timmy, and about a gallon of lemonade! It sounds like a real feast to me!'

'Don't you want to join us?' asked Anne, looking up at the engines.

'We'd love to, but we engines don't eat like you do,' said Henry. 'Our only food and drink is coal and water, and always will be – except for BoCo, whose kind only ever drinks fuel.'

It was a relief for all the children, Jo especially, when they were having their late night repast of ham and cheese sandwiches with hard boiled eggs on the side, lemonade to drink, and chocolate and tinned peaches to follow.

'So why are you in the Roundhouse of all places?' asked Jo as they finished.

Dick explained what had happened, making sure that he left nothing out. 'We still can't be certain if it was Belvedere who did it,' he said at length. 'I admit that we did get in his bad books. But it may just have been the wind that blew the tents down.'

'Well, that's as may be,' said Henry. 'But as far as we know, there haven't been any strong winds in that part of the island all week. And how do you explain the footprint on the canvas?'

'Maybe it was a farm worker who wasn't looking where he was going,' said Julian. 'Or it could have just been us who did it. Maybe we just didn't put them up properly.'

'Please don't treat us like idiots, Julian!' snapped Gordon. 'We've done our bit! We know what Belvedere's capable of! So why can't you all just face up to the facts?'

'All right, keep your dome on, you galloping sausage!' said Dick. Gordon opened his mouth to retort, then closed it again and glared at Dick.

'Children, I can understand that you don't want to think that everything is going badly,' said Edward. 'And I truly sympathise, but...'

His remaining words were lost to a yell of alarm as George leapt to her feet once more, making everyone jump nearly out of their skins!

'A face! Another face at the window!' yelled George, dashing to the window and flinging it wide. 'Timmy, where are you? Quick, after him!'

'Oh, don't start that again!' exclaimed Henry. 'It's probably the night foreman. Where is Timmy?'

Timmy emerged at that moment from the corner of the shed, bounded over to the window and leapt from a standing start up and over the sill, disappearing into the yard outside.

'George, _what_ is all that about?' demanded BoCo. 'What face did you see at the window?'

'A man with an awful face like a monkey, and white hair,' said George, who was staring out at the yard. 'Oh, why is Timmy taking so long?'

No one said anything, but by straining their ears, they could make out the sound of running feet, followed by the slam of a car door, the rev of an engine and a scream of tyres that soon faded into nothing. Moments later, Tim leapt back through the window, catching the engines unawares.

'Good heavens above!' exclaimed Edward. 'Whatever next!'

George was overcome with rage that the man, whoever he was, had got away! And she took this anger out on poor Tim! She rounded on the dog, right there, in the middle of the Tidmouth Roundhouse, with a dozen shocked faces staring on!

'You stupid dog! We needed you, and you didn't come at once when called! How dare you defy me! You could have caught that man easily! I'm ashamed of you, Timothy! I should never have got you in the first place! You just cause nothing but mayhem!'

'How dare you speak to Timmy like that!' said James furiously. 'What exactly has he ever done to you, Georgina? Stop that insane yelling right now or I'll have you reported to the Fat Controller!'

George suddenly turned her anger on James. 'You just let me scold my dog however I like! I bet he was hiding in that corner to be away from all you rotten Big Engines! You'd be much better off on the scrap line than working here! You're so stuck-up I'm surprised you're not all diesels! It's your fault he failed me, not his!'

'SHUT UP, GEORGINA!' thundered Gordon, so loud as to make Julian, Dick, Jo and Anne leap a foot in the air. 'Your temper gets us nowhere! If you don't get a grip in the next sixty seconds, then you'll have your wish of sleeping in the waiting room, and you'll be seeing the Fat Controller first thing in the morning! I repeat, GET A GRIP!'

A ringing silence fell! The engines, along with Dick, Julian, Anne and Jo, were too shocked to speak! George stared at Gordon, as if she were preparing to yell at the Big Engines again. Then there came a whine somewhere around knee level. For the life of him, Timmy couldn't understand why his mistress had suddenly lost her mind! Why, he'd only been catching up on sleep in that corner – he hadn't been hiding from anyone at all!

George realised where she had gone wrong at once! 'Oh, Timmy!' she half-sobbed, dropping to her knees and embracing her beloved dog. 'I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to lose my temper and snap at you! I was just scared and angry to see that face at the window! It's all right, Tim, it really is!'

'Pah! You're not sorry!' snorted James. 'You're only pretending to be sorry so that Gordon doesn't tell the Fat Controller what you've said to Tim!'

'Well, it's not going to work!' declared Gordon. 'I'm telling the Fat Controller first thing tomorrow morning, and then you'll be in big trouble, Georgina! Just you wait!'

'Does anyone know who the man at the window was?' said Duck loudly, trying to break up any possible argument. 'We know now that he's monkey-faced. Do we know of anyone with that face?'

'I know!' said Jo. 'Mr Powell! It can't be anyone else!'

'Who on earth is Mr Powell?' asked Anne.

'One of the people working for Lord Belvedere,' said Jo. 'I saw him entering Bosworth Manor this afternoon, with that man. And Belvedere called him Powell – I heard him clearly! And I recognised the face because it was reflected in the drawing room window.'

'But whit wad he be daein' here sae late at nicht?' asked Donald. 'Ye wadnae be thinkin' it hae somethin' tae dae wi' yon man in a wheel-cheer, wad ye noo?'

'Must be,' said Dick. 'I believe he was here to support the wheelchair. I mean, most people in wheelchairs need people who are willing to push them along because the people in them can't reach the wheels to move them by themselves.'

'Bit why come intae the guids yaird a' this hoor?' asked Douglas. 'Whit can be sae important that yon men wad be in up an' aboot in yon wey?'

'Do you reckon we ought to go out into the yard and see?' asked George, anxious to make up for her temper tantrum. 'They can't have got far. If we hurry, we can still catch them!'

'Don't be stupid,' said Julian. 'It's cold, wet and very dark outside. And anyway, you must have heard that car engine, George. My guess is that both men will have long gone.'

At this point, Anne yawned hugely. The other four children stared at her. They knew what could only come next, and they weren't disappointed!

'How tired you all look!' said BoCo solicitously. 'I think we'd all better get a good night's sleep. It's awfully late, and you've all had a very busy day indeed.'

'Idiot, Anne!' hissed Dick. 'Just when things were getting exciting, you have to go and spoil it!'

'We were just about to suggest bedtime anyway,' said Edward. 'Like BoCo said, we're surprised you're not sleepwalking already. Look at you, Dick! You're yawning more than Anne, and don't tell us you're not sleepy, because you clearly are. And don't worry about the men you saw in the yard – it'll all become clear in the morning, I'm sure.'

'You can bring your sleeping bags into our cabs for the night,' said Gordon. 'Then you can be sure of a comfortable place to sleep. Jo can use those old sheets in the corner as a sleeping mat and pillow. As I recall, you're in my cab, Julian. I must say, it's not often we have children camp out in our cabs! It will certainly be something to tell your friends at school!'

'I'm sure it will,' said Julian, directing the others to their different cabs and climbing into Gordon's. 'Thank you so much, all of you Main Line engines! I wouldn't have wanted to sleep on the floor, not with this weather. This is by far warmer. You're a real brick, Gordon, and you too, Edward!'

In less than fifteen minutes, the Five had settled down in their sleeping bags within their engines' cabs, and the engines themselves had nodded off shortly after. Sleep well, children! You have a most exciting day in store for you tomorrow!


	21. An Interview, And A Diesel!

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

_**An interview, and a diesel!**_

Next morning, the firelighter came to prepare the engines for the day's work. He started with Gordon, for he was always needed for the Express. You can imagine his surprise when, on entering the big engine's cab, he almost fell over a boy in a sleeping bag lying curled up in the centre of the cab floor!

'What on earth...?' he spluttered, wondering if he was seeing things. Julian, who'd been roused by the man entering the cab, sat up and explained last night's chain of events that had led up to the Five spending the night in the Roundhouse. Once the firelighter had heard everything, he became very friendly indeed and promised to tell the Fat Controller what had happened so that he could look into it and see what he and the authorities could do.

'We can't risk it happening again,' he said as he busily made up Gordon's fire. 'I'm sure the Fat Controller wouldn't tolerate that sort of behaviour, even if it is the work of that horrible lord.'

Julian debated whether to persuade him otherwise, but decided against it. The Fat Controller would be a great help, and the engines had explained last night that he would most certainly not want the children's visit to be unpleasant. So while the firelighter worked on Gordon's fire, he left the cab and went across to Duck, James, Edward and Henry's to wake the others.

A short while later, the other engines were stirring themselves as the warmth of their newly built fires spread through their boilers – all except BoCo, who simply sat there waiting for his driver.

'It's because he's a diesel,' explained Jo, in answer to Dick's puzzled look. 'As one diesel who visited here said, "A fill of oil, a touch on the starter and he's off, no bother, no waiting". That's the thing with modern machines. They're made for getting the job done, not for good looks. I'm not at all sure that the same can be said for the other Main Line engines, of course.'

'Are you sure you want to keep watch over Belvedere?' asked Julian of Gordon and Edward, putting into words what he'd been thinking for much of the night. 'This could be very dangerous, and I wouldn't want any of you to get into trouble because of us!'

'Don't you worry, young Julian,' said Gordon as Duck, Tidmouth's primary shunting engine, left the shed for the yard outside, whistling a last good luck as he went. 'We're Sudrians – we take danger in our stride! Besides, helping others is what friendship is all about.'

'I only wish things go according to plan,' said Edward. 'I can take you all down my branch line. My first passenger train of the day has Suddery on its schedule. Don't look so upset, Timmy! George would rather walk on hot coals than go off on an adventure without you. Isn't that right, George?'

'Of course it is, Edward,' said George. 'I do hope we wrap this mystery up soon. If it carries on much longer, it could get out of control, and Timmy and I might have to leave after all.'

'Don't be a wally!' scoffed James. 'You ought to stop mollycoddling that dog of yours! I sometimes think that the only reason you're with us now is because of Timmy.'

He's got a point, thought Julian truthfully. George has made hot-headed decisions like this in the past, and all those roads lead straight to Tim. But then I would probably do the same if it was my dog in peril, and Tim has proved a most valuable dog for all of us!

'I advise you children to head for the station so that you're first on Edward's train,' said Henry. 'I bet the Franciscos will want to come with you on this trail you've found.'

'Of course they will,' said Dick at once. 'They never back out of anything with danger in it. I bet they're waiting for us right now.'

'Well, come on, children,' said Edward as his driver and fireman arrived and vaulted into his cab. 'My train leaves in fifteen minutes, and I plan to have you all on board.'

The doors opened and, as Edward rolled out of the shed, the five children, with Timmy right behind them, jogged after him into the yard and over to the station. As they mounted the platform, it was to find the Fat Controller standing just outside his office waiting for them.

'Ah, there you are, dear children,' he said. 'Spiffing! I've been meaning to have a word with you. If you would kindly step this way...' He opened the door of his office and beckoned them inside. Julian glanced at Edward, who was backing down onto his train. The old engine replied with a better-find-out-what-he-wants sort of expression and, one by one, the children nervously entered the office.

It was large and richly decorated, with portraits of famous railway engineers and designers and photographs of their creations hanging from the walls. There was a desk containing a couple of telephones and in- and out trays, and five chairs in front of the desk. The Fat Controller motioned the children to sit down, while he himself took his place behind the desk.

'It's good to see you children,' he said. 'I've been meaning to have a word with you since yesterday afternoon. By the way, may I ask who your friend is?'

'I'm Jo,' said Jo shyly. 'I'm staying with my godfather Mr Crowe on his farm.'

'Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Jo,' said the Fat Controller, leaning forward and shaking Jo's none too clean hand. 'Now, tell me, how are you all finding Sodor?'

The children at once burst into cries of praise about Sodor, and were only stopped when the Fat Controller raised his hand.

'I only ask this because the firelighter has been to see me with a most peculiar tale,' he explained. 'He says that you returned to your camp last night only to find your tents in ruins. Is that correct?'

Julian nodded mutely, and they all waited anxiously for the blow to fall.

'And you decided to come down here and share the Roundhouse with some of the Main Line engines,' resumed the Fat Controller. 'Is that true also?'

Julian nodded again. The others exchanged glances, wondering what was going on in the Fat Controller's mind.

'As it happens, Lord Belvedere came to see me yesterday morning with an even stranger tale,' went on the Fat Controller. 'He claims that he almost caught two children whom he swore had been trespassing on his property. Of course, I refused to believe any child on Sodor would do that, but it was another thing altogether when he said that the children answered to the names of Dick and Anne.'

Julian swallowed. He half expected another shouting match, like the one between Gordon and George last night.

'Now, as to you ending up in the Roundhouse,' said the Fat Controller. 'Your tents were trampled down, Francisco House was on the other side of the island, and you chose to take quite a dangerous course by camping out with the Main Line engines. I can't say that was the wisest of moves, but...'

'Oh, please don't be cross, Sir!' cried Anne suddenly. 'It wasn't our fault! It was the only choice, and it was raining so! We just had to come down and sleep in the shed!'

The Fat Controller's face was a mask of astonishment. 'Whatever makes you think I'm cross with you?' he demanded. 'If anything, I admire your courage and resource. It was raining heavily, and your tents had been kicked to the ground. Yet you coped with it, stopped and thought about what to do. I'm proud of you all.'

'Thank you, Sir,' said Julian. 'But we believe now that it was Lord Belvedere who knocked the tents down. After all, we left them unguarded for more than two days! We're not saying this because we hate him, but because...'

'...you were caught within Bosworth Manor?' supplied the Fat Controller with a smile. 'We have always had our doubts about the Belvederes, even if they are nobles. What I'm saying is that I am as willing to help you in your detective work as my engines.'

'Oh, Sir,' cried Dick, ecstatic. 'How can we ever repay you? Not only have you made our trip here utterly smashing, but you want to help us find out more about Belvedere!'

'Only too pleased to oblige, Dick,' smiled the Fat Controller. 'I will see to it that my engines are on constant lookout wherever they may be during today. I myself plan to alert the police so that they can track His Lordship properly. I will also telephone Mr Crowe about where Jo is, otherwise he will start to worry. Incidentally, make sure that fine dog of yours, George, is with you at all times. So long as you have him, then you have nothing to fear!'

'We'll never go anywhere without Tim!' said George firmly. 'He's one of us, and always will be. Thank you so much for your support, Sir.'

'Nothing to it,' said the Fat Controller. 'But, George, Gordon had reason to tell me that you had a bit of a shouting match with him, James and Henry last night. Apparently, too, you shouted at Timmy as well, because he failed to catch someone who looked in at the shed window. Is that true?'

'Yes it is, Sir,' said George at once. The Fat Controller looked a bit stunned at such a glib response.

'I see. In that case, would you mind explaining why you lost your temper with the Big Engines?'

George took a deep breath. 'Well, Sir, I was just so angry at the nerve of that face at the window! I wasn't thinking straight, and I took it out on Tim. Then James scolded me for shouting at Tim, and then I just got out of control until Gordon told me to stop.'

'But why would you want to yell at them?' asked the Fat Controller, sounding both angry and confused at the same time.

'They were just being very cruel to me,' said George. 'All three of them keep calling me Georgina, and Gordon told me the first time we met that he hates dogs! And of course, I can't like anyone who doesn't like Tim! That's the real reason why I hate Gordon more than James and Henry!'

'Be that as it my, losing your temper in the Tidmouth Roundhouse is far from acceptable!' said the Fat Controller gravely. 'George, as of now, I want you to make a big effort to be polite to my engines. I know they often look down their smokeboxes at other engines, but in truth, they wouldn't hurt a fly! If you lose your temper again with any engine on Sodor, be it one of mine or otherwise, I will be informing your parents and have you sent home for the rest of your Easter holidays. I for one will not tolerate rudeness to my engines, no matter how vulgar they might be. Do you understand?'

'Yes, Sir,' said George.

'As for the face at the window, and what actually happened last night,' continued the Fat Controller, 'I suggest you leave that to the police. I've already told them what happened, and they will be on the lookout for both the man in the wheelchair and his monkey-faced mentor. But for now I see that I mustn't keep you. Edward is waiting, and so, I presume, is the Francisco clan. Good luck, children, and do try to stay out of trouble as best you can.'

'Thank you very much, Sir,' said Julian politely. 'I promise we'll do all we can to bring all this to an end. It's the least we can do, after all you've done for us.'

'Well, I can assure you that we'll be right behind you if you do run into trouble,' said the Fat Controller. 'With this fine Timmy and a good supply of provisions, I'm sure you could climb Mount Everest if you wanted to!' He shook each of the children – and Tim – by the hand. But before any more could be said, they heard the sound of screaming tyres in the car park.

Julian hurried to the window and peered out. 'It's Belvedere's Rolls-Royce! The Belvederes are getting out now, and they don't look at all pleased!'

The Fat Controller swiftly joined him at the window. 'Good grief!' he exclaimed. 'I suggest you children leave on Edward's train before he gets here.'

But it was too late. Already, the children could make out the soft thudding of heavy feet against concrete. By straining their ears, they could make out two voices drawing ever nearer.

'You must have lost it, my lord. We should have locked up the manor more thoroughly yesterday. What we can do now...'

'I DID NOT LOSE IT!' roared Lord Belvedere. 'I KNOW WHEN SOMETHING IS LOST OR STOLEN! THIS – HAS – SOMETHING – TO – DO – WITH – THOSE – BRATS!'

'With all due respect, my lord, be reasonable! Those children have been dealt with!'

Bang! The Fat Controller's office door flew open as if caught in a high wind. Lord and Lady Belvedere came striding in, with Mr Hamilton trotting after them. The Belvederes' valet looked slightly desperate in the presence of such angry people. Lady Belvedere looked highly peeved, but His Lordship was beside himself with rage!

'OUT WITH IT, GUTTERSNIPES!' he bellowed. 'WHAT DID YOU TAKE FROM BOSWORTH MANOR? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY BAG?'

'My lord!' shrilled Mr Hamilton. 'Get a grip on yourself!'

'We know that you little pests have my husband's bag!' growled Lady Belvedere, glowering at the children through her lorgnettes. 'There is no point trying to deny it! Hand it over at the double or you will regret it! Hand it over, I say!'

'See here, good sir!' expostulated the Fat Controller. 'I'm sure these children wouldn't do such a thing! I can assure you...'

'THEY STOLE THAT BAG, I KNOW IT!' screamed Belvedere, pointing an accusatory sausage at George and Julian. His face was contorted, his moustache quivered, saliva flew from his mouth and his monocle seemed in danger of falling out!

'Calm down, Reginald!' roared the Fat Controller. 'You're talking claptrap!'

'YOU DON'T KNOW THOSE CHILDREN!' shrieked Belvedere. 'THEY DID IT, I KNOW THEY DID IT!' Then his swollen eyes fell on Jo, who trembled in her shoes. 'THAT BOY!' he screamed. 'IT WAS HIM! HE WAS AT THE BOATHOUSE, HE WAS AT BOSWORTH MANOR, AND HE IS HERE NOW! I SHALL MAKE HIM PAY, SEE IF I...'

'_Shut up!_' yelled George, Julian and the Fat Controller together.

Belvedere's mouth opened and shut like a music box. 'Do not dare to speak to me like that, you meddlesome fools!' he snarled.

'Too late – we already have!' shouted the Fat Controller, eyeing Belvedere with unmistakeable hatred. 'We're fed up of you and your gormless wife, you vile, bloated old jellyfish! Why don't you just wrench the squirrel's tail off your face and probe the hardboiled organ you keep isolated in that beach ball of yours? I'm telling you, these children did not steal your precious bag! Do you understand? You must have misplaced it!'

'No they didn't,' said Julian suddenly. 'And besides, that bag isn't his.' Everyone stared at him in amazement. 'Is this bag of yours brown and filled with papers?' he demanded of Belvedere.

'Yes, what of it?' came the blunt reply.

'Well, in that case, it's not yours,' said Julian calmly, looking Belvedere straight in the eye. 'It never has been, and never will be. That bag belongs to our friend Dr Sebastian Francisco. We only took it because you had no right to steal it, if you did. In any case, we haven't got it with us, and we're jolly glad of that.'

'What are you talking about, Julian?' asked the Fat Controller.

'We found Seb's old doctor's bag at Bosworth Manor,' explained George. 'It was in this secret room and full of papers, and we think that _he_...' she indicated Belvedere, who seemed to be rooted to the spot, '...stole it to frame Seb.'

The Fat Controller's mind raced. 'Very well, children. For now, I think you're clear of all charges.'

'Excuse _me_,' said Belvedere dangerously, 'but I think these children are guilty of rather more than simple thievery. They broke into Bosworth Manor yesterday afternoon, in broad daylight, and stole that bag without so much as a by-your-leave! They should be well and truly punished, expelled from the island if not locked up somewhere!'

Julian and George exchanged glances. This was exactly what they had feared last night. If the Fat Controller took Belvedere's side, it was all over! Dick, Anne and Jo watched the scene open-mouthed. But the children need not have worried.

'How _dare_ you suggest I punish these children, you despicable toad!' growled the Fat Controller. 'I shall keep them here and see to it that they have fun surrounded by my most trustworthy engines! Anyway, I suggest you get on with your own dirty work and leave these children be! They mean no harm, and never will do. So long as they are with my engines, they can be happy.'

'Of course, your loyal kettles!' sneered Belvedere. 'I for one cannot understand why full grown men such as yourself, Sir Topham, should want to waste time recreating days long gone! Those hunks of scrap iron are about as much use to the railway network as a snowman would be to the Eskimos! You have to move with the times – everyone else has! And personally I have far more productive things to do with my time than sit around in an office all day long and order around hunks of metal that should have been turned into scrap decades ago!'

At this, the Fat Controller completely lost his temper. '_I have had enough!_' he thundered. 'You are the foulest man I have ever met and your wife is the stupidest woman, and I never want to see either of you again!' With that, he shoved both Belvederes and Mr Hamilton ignominiously out onto the platform and slammed the door behind them!

'**GO TO BLAZES!**' screeched Belvedere at the closed door, and stormed out of the station, followed by his wife and second-in-command.

'Well done, Sir!' whooped Dick.

'Thank you, Dick,' said the Fat Controller, breathing heavily as he returned to his desk. 'George, please could you calm Timmy down? He could growl this office to bits if he's not careful!' All this time, Timmy had been standing by George's side and growling like a motorbike, but George had had her hand on his collar should he take it upon himself to leap at Belvedere.

'Calm down, Tim,' instructed George. 'He's gone, so you don't have to growl anymore.' Timmy's growls at once subsided.

The Fat Controller took a deep breath. 'For now, I'll take your word about that bag, children. But tell me, what did Belvedere mean by saying that Jo was at Bosworth Manor?'

Quickly, Jo described what had happened to her during her stay on Sodor, and how she had come to be with her dearest friends. 'I'm only staying with them because I want to help, and I know them already,' she concluded.

'Very well, Jo,' said the Fat Controller briskly. 'If you feel safe with the Five, you can stay with them. But now I mustn't keep you. I have work to be getting on with, and I think so have you! I wish you all every success in your investigation, but you needn't fear. You have Timmy to guard you, and I and my engines will be with you till the end.' He shook them all by the hand, and they left the office.

They were on the verge of boarding Edward's train when they heard a whistle and Thomas appeared, backing up to the platform with Annie and Clarabel. He looked genuinely concerned, and let off steam in relief when he saw the children.

'Oh, thank goodness you're all right!' he cried. 'When I heard about what happened last night, I could have bumped myself! I was so worried that you might have been out in the rain all night!'

'Not a chance!' said Julian. 'We all came down here, to the yard, and slept in the Roundhouse with the Main Line engines. They were all very good about it all, especially Edward here. He even let us camp out in the Big Engines' cabs while George and Tim went in his own cab.'

'Oh, good!' said Thomas. 'As I say, I blame myself for what happened. If I'd kept watch over the campsite while you were gone, it would never have happened.'

'Don't feel guilty, Thomas!' said Dick. 'It wasn't your fault at all. I'm sure that you didn't _ask_ Belvedere to knock our tents down! Anyway, we're going to solve this mystery once and for all!'

'Hurrah!' cheered Edward. 'That's what I like to hear! Now come on, children. I'm sure the Franciscos will be waiting.'

'Good luck, children!' said Thomas. 'I jolly well hope you do manage to solve this puzzle soon! You're all so brave and clever, I'm sure Belvedere and his crew don't stand a chance!'

The children scrambled into Edward's coaches and, ten minutes later, the train left. But the Five couldn't resist leaning out of the window to wave goodbye to Thomas, who whistled in return.

'I really do think we can solve this!' said George happily. 'Last night, I thought all was lost. We'd been found out, our tents were in ruins, and we were no nearer cracking the case. But now we have all the Sudrians on our side, I think we can do this! And I simply _refuse_ to leave Tim out of this! If we're going to solve this, Tim _must_ be by my side!'

Tim looked up and barked as if to say, 'And I refuse to leave any of you!'

'That's the George I know!' said Julian, clapping the girl on the back. 'We _can_ solve this mystery! We _ca__n_, I tell you! In any case, we must, before Belvedere leaves this afternoon. Though I do hope Seb and Sam will be able to lend us some clean clothes. Our old clothes must now surely be unfit for wearing, and these ones must all be at least a _bit_ grubby after spending the night in an engine cab!'

A short while later, the train pulled into Suddery station, after passing through Wellsworth first. The children disembarked, where the first things they saw were the saddle-tank twins, Bill and Ben, standing in adjacent sidings and looking rather upset about something. As Edward pulled away, the coaches slid away to reveal a large, blue diesel engine, facing the little tank engine twins and clearly chastising them.

'...don't know _what_ Sir Topham Hatt was thinking,' the diesel was saying. 'I for one firmly believe that all engines should be wiped out and replaced with reliable, modern engines like me. Look at you – undersized, non-environmental, rusty old kettles. _Why_ do enthusiasts fawn over you so, I wonder?'

'Because they happen to like us,' said Bill waspishly. 'And just for the record, fat face, there are other railways like this all over England, or so we're told.'

'Fancy people wasting time over such a doomed-to-failure task as preserving old heaps of scrap such as you!' leered the diesel. 'If I were in parliament, I would make a law saying that anyone trying to save steam engines should be tried for treason to the railway network.'

'Well, you're not in parliament, chunky,' snapped Ben. 'So that settles it. Now shut up and let an engine shunt in peace.'

The diesel was about to speak when Julian stepped forward.

'Excuse me, box-body,' he said loudly. 'I suggest you take your stuck-up speeches somewhere other than here. These engines happen to be our friends, and we would be most grateful if you could leave off bullying them. And might I ask you for your name?'

The diesel was clearly caught off guard, and glared at Julian for a few moments before replying. 'Name's Selwyn,' he said guardedly. 'And you must be the children I was told about. I was told you're a nasty piece of work, and that I should treat you with caution. But why are you friends with..._these_ sorts of engines? They don't deserve friends – they belong on the scrap heap!'

'They only go on the scrap heap when they become completely useless!' snapped Dick. 'None of the Sudrians are useless! So I believe it'll be a long time before they go anywhere but the works for repairs! Some engines have been here for decades, like Edward and Toby!'

'Oh, Toby the Tram Engine,' sneered the diesel. 'Or as I see him, a crate on wheels. And the other seven Famous Engines, too. Famous my generator! At least our type are hourglass efficient compared with what you lot are used to. I'm telling you, we are ready for work at a moment's notice, whereas they have to be prepared at least two hours before their first train! Steam engines are old age itself!'

'How can you think that about our friends?' cried George angrily. 'We're friends with them because they have a much better personality than you! I thought you were only here for one day. Why must you act like you live here?' Suddenly, she wrinkled her nose in evident disgust. 'You have rather smelly fuel, I must say! I rather think you should be called "Smellwyn".'

'_Cheek!_' barked Selwyn. 'I was told you were unpleasant, and now I have proof that you are. And from the look of you, you must have spent last night in the woods! Oh look, here come some more impertinent brats!' The children looked up and saw the six Francisco children hurrying across the yard towards them, looks of mingled pleasure and anxiety on their faces.

'Hello, Julian!' said David. 'We were wondering where you were! Mother and Father have been so worried about you all! Hello, twins. Try not to torment BoCo today, will you? Calm _down_, Tim! You're like a bull in a china shop! Oh, what is _that_?' He had suddenly noticed Selwyn, and was eyeing him as though he were something more commonly found in a sewer.

George hastened to explain. 'This is Smellwyn. He says his name is Selwyn, but I think that Smellwyn suits him better.'

The twins sniggered openly.

'You're right there, George,' said Bill. 'Serves him right, the snooty old haddock!'

'Yes, nice nickname, George,' said Ben. 'Suits old Fat-face down to the rails!'

'Why, you impudent...' choked Selwyn. 'And what do you think _you're_ doing, boy?' The 'boy' he meant was Alex, who was thoughtfully looking the diesel up and down.

'You're a Class 50, aren't you?' he said. 'Yes, Father told us about your type. He said that enthusiasts called them "Hoovers" because of the racket their air filters make. A good name, I believe – "Smellwyn the Hoover".'

'You...' choked Selwyn, but everyone ignored him. Eventually, he rolled backwards into an empty siding and closed his eyes as if he had no interest whatsoever in what the children had to say.

'What exactly has happened?' asked Bill. 'You lot just suddenly appear looking like you're on the run! Who's your friend?'

'Are we missing anything at all?' asked Ben. 'Please explain what happened last night! We simply must know!'

Dick introduced Jo to Bill, Ben and the Franciscos, and then explained about the tents being trampled, their night's sojourn in the Roundhouse and the engines' promise to help the children in their war against Belvedere.

'I knew Edward wouldn't let us down!' cried Justin, punching the air. 'But the Fat Controller's right. You deserve our help! You'd better come back to the house. I'm sure Aunt Sam will feed you all up and give you some fresh clothes.'

'Wait a minute,' said Bill. 'Oughtn't we to do something about Old Square Face over there?'

'Let's teach him a lesson,' said Ben. 'Show him what we steam engines are really made of.'

'I know!' said David. 'We can do something to his diesel fuel. It's over there.' He pointed to a large rusting barrel with a bedraggled notice proclaiming that this was Selwyn's Fuel. 'I suggest you children head off to the House, while we think of a way to pay Smellwyn out. Mother and Father are expecting you, so they won't be too surprised to see you.'

'Well, be sure to leave your mark on that diesel,' said Bill. 'But we have trucks waiting for us at the port, and you know how tetchy trucks can be!'

'See you later, everyone,' said Ben. 'And good luck against the Belvederes and their gang. Just don't get into trouble!'


	22. Things Begin To Take Shape

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

_**Things begin to take shape**_

The twins left, and the Five, plus Jo and Tim, left the station, only breaking into a run once they were out of sight of the yard. Not one of them paused to draw breath till they had reached the gates of Francisco House, where they found both Seb and Sam waiting for them.

'Hello, children,' said Seb. 'It really is good to see you again! But tell me – what earthly reason could you have to go and sleep in the Tidmouth Roundhouse?'

'It's a long story,' said Dick, who didn't at all want to find Belvedere out on an empty stomach. 'But I must say we're all starving. I feel like I haven't eaten for a week!'

'In that case, come away in and we'll feed you all up good and proper,' said Sam. 'And a change of clothes can't do any harm, I shouldn't wonder.'

'I say food first, clothes second,' said Seb. 'By the way, who's this little chap?' He had suddenly noticed Jo, who was looking with awe at Francisco House behind him and Sam.

'My name's Jo,' replied Jo, and bowed to Seb and Sam. 'I'm a gypsy girl. I was staying with my godfather, but now I've come to help my friends!'

Just then, the Francisco children came jogging up the drive, looking rather pleased with themselves.

'Well, if you've come to help, then you must have breakfast with us as well,' said Seb, shaking hands with Jo and leading the way into the hall. 'It's not often we get gypsy girls, or indeed any other circus folk, to Sodor. But you're just as welcome to Sodor as any visitor, Jo, so there's no need to feel uneasy. Now, breakfast first, I think!'

'I think they ought to get changed first and _then_ have breakfast,' said Sam firmly. 'I take it that bag you've got, George, is the clothes from last night. If so, I'd better take them in for washing. It'll be much nicer to get into more comfortable clothes than sooty or muddy ones!'

Julian confirmed that indeed they were, so David escorted the children up to his bedroom and flung open the clothes cupboard there. Then he proceeded to rummage through mountains of jackets, jerseys, trousers and shoes, muttering to himself. 'Where are they? Where _are_ they? Where, where, _where_? Aha! Here they are! What do you think, chaps?'

The Five gaped at the clothes David was holding up. They were the traditional garb for British army soldiers – jackets in hues of green and brown, black shirts and socks, bottle-green trousers and big, sturdy black boots. What an amazing outfit it was! The children didn't know what to say!

'Do you mean, we can wear this?' gasped Anne at length.

'Certainly,' said David. 'I can tell the others to get changed into their own – these are just spares – and we can get changed while you all have breakfast. I bet you're all hungry by now!'

'You can say that again!' said Julian as he removed his jersey and pulled on the shirt and jacket in its stead. 'Thanks awfully, David old chap! I've always wanted to wear this sort of get-up! But do you think George and Anne will mind wearing these?'

'My dear Julian, if this is good enough for us, surely it's good enough for all five of you,' said David solemnly. 'Now I think you ought to hurry up – I believe breakfast is almost ready.'

Jo was quite overwhelmed with delight. 'I haven't worn clothes as clean and smart as this for ages!' she cried, trying on the jacket and finding that it fitted like a glove. 'Thank you ever so much, David! I bet I'd look just like a commanding officer in these!'

'We all will,' smiled Justin as Dick helped Jo and Anne into their outfits. 'We'll be putting on combats as well. Now I suggest you all get dressed and have breakfast before we do anything else.'

About fifteen minutes later, all five children were dressed in the army uniforms, and seated at the breakfast table, consuming a glorious meal of sausages, bacon, eggs, toast, tomatoes and mushrooms. Seb and Sam had insisted on feeding them with what they called a 'full army breakfast', and it was going down very well indeed with all of them. Tim was crouched at George's feet, waiting for titbits and feeling rather self-conscious at being the only one there who hadn't been given a uniform.

'Don't worry, Tim,' said Dick. 'None of the outfits would have fitted you, and anyway, we all prefer you just as you are. Although I'm sure you'd look smashing in a tin hat if David has any!'

'This is too kind of you, Seb,' said Julian. 'I mean to say, giving us breakfast, washing our clothes, even giving us a bed for a night! However can we repay you?'

'Don't even try to,' said Seb, pouring out five cups, and one bowl, of coffee. 'We just like to help others, especially if they're friends with our friends. By the way, I told the police what happened at Bosworth Manor, and they've promised to look into the matter later today. They also said that, according to Belvedere, you children have taken something from that house besides my bag. I'm not believing it, but nor am I turning it away. _Did_ you steal anything important from Bosworth Manor?'

The children stared at Seb in astonishment and defiance. Seb and Sam knew that the only things they had taken were the bag, which was rightfully Seb's, and the map Dick and Anne had found atop His Lordship's four-poster. Was there more to either of them than at first it seemed?

Julian said as much to Seb, who looked thoughtful. 'I don't see why Belvedere would have any right to claim to own something that is clearly mine,' he said. 'So that map must be important to him. I bet it's something to do with what he's truly up to. I wouldn't put it past him to try and frame you children like he tried to frame me, but I suggest you hang onto the map at all times.'

So saying, Seb took the map from his pocket and handed it to Julian. 'On no account are you to let it out of your sight, Julian! Do you hear? If you do, goodness knows what will happen! Besides, it should be vital for your investigations – and for what it's worth, so will Tim!'

George grinned, but then a loud tramping of feet sounded over their heads and David's lusty young voice came clearly to their ears, floating down the stairs. 'Left, right, left, right, left, right...!'

It continued in this strain, just as the thumping continued across the landing and down the stairs, before stopping at the kitchen door, where David shouted 'Halt, left turn!' before saluting to his father and proclaiming 'Sergeant David Francisco reporting for duty, SIR!'

'All right, children, stand at ease,' chuckled his father. 'Well, they're ready to go, and from the looks of things, so are your lot, Julian. Now, have any of you forgotten anything?'

'Certainly not, sir,' said Justin as he and David handed out various possessions of the children – a few penknives, a compass, the map of Sodor from Dick's bag, the Five's respective torches, a dozen small rucksacks that would do fine for food and drink, and tin helmets for the children and Tim. 'We got these out of your bags for you, Julian. If things go the way we think, we could need all of them.'

'It looks like things are going to be all right,' said Sam as she filled each of the bags with ham and cheese sandwiches, bottles of lemonade and bulky slices of sponge cake. 'Now take care, will you? We'd hate for Belvedere to catch you. And you do know where you're going, don't you?'

'Yes,' said Julian as George fastened Tim into his tin hat. 'Down to the beach where we saw the shipment. We'll all have a jolly good look round to see where those lorries could have gone. There must be an explanation to why they weren't there when Alex looked yesterday morning.'

'Well, good luck, all of you,' said Seb, opening the front door for them. 'Sam and I will be heading up to Tidmouth later to see if we can help to keep tabs on His Lordship! So I suspect other engines will be on lookout for him or any of his men, and all of you if you do manage to get into trouble.'

'Thanks most awfully, Seb,' said Julian, pocketing his knife and compass. 'But how do we keep in touch with you? I don't think there are any public telephones in that part of Sodor.'

'There aren't, but these might help,' said Seb, reaching into a drawer and pulling out four walkie-talkies, three of which he handed to David. 'We'll take the other one, so you can get in touch quickly. But mind no one finds it, otherwise you'll be cut off from us, and that could be disastrous!'

'I just need to give my platoon a briefing before we set off,' said David. 'I can take them into the garden shed and carry out the session there.'

'Go right ahead,' said Sam. 'It's always best to work out plans before putting them into action. Carry on, Sergeant Francisco.'

Julian and David shouldered the food bags, and Justin flung open the front door. Then the children hurriedly got into line.

'To the shed! Dis-miss!' shouted David. Everyone turned, even Timmy, and headed for the door.

'Good luck,' said Seb. 'We'll see you later, and make sure Belvedere doesn't come back.'

David led the way round to the back of the house until they came in sight of a large, tumbledown shed that stood at the bottom of the garden. The boy opened the door and hurried up to the front of the shed as the others crowded in. David grabbed a string attached to something hanging from the ceiling, and dragged down a screen that had a big map of Sodor fastened to it. Julian noticed that faint pencil lines had been drawn across it, and knew it represented the smuggling tunnels beneath the island.

David picked up a bamboo cane from the corner and used it as a pointer.

'All right, team, pay attention!' he commanded, tapping the map with the cane. 'The pencil lines show the layout of the smuggling tunnels that Belvedere will be using. We know that they lead from the beach and, if we put it over the original map of Sodor, we can see that it corners somewhere near Bosworth Manor, up here. On the while, that's quite unsurprising.'

David traced the cane across the pencil line until he came to its stopping place on the western side of the island. 'It's most likely that the tunnels come out somewhere near Tidmouth, over here. That's where everything on Sodor seems to happen, and where the Big Station is. That will offer Belvedere a fine escape route if he needs to leave in a hurry!'

There was a little silence while the others took this in.

'Now what do we have on our side?' went on David. 'To start with, there's time, but that's running out even as we stand here. We know that Belvedere's planning to leave at one o'clock and it's almost ten o'clock already! But that's not enough. We also have the map of the smuggling tunnels and, thanks to Dick and Anne, it's right now safe in Julian's pocket.

'More than that, we have the element of surprise. Belvedere trampled those tents down to make sure the Five wouldn't camp there and, now that they're here, he'll go about his dirty work without a worry. As well as that, we know that he'll be using hearses, milk floats and rubbish trucks to move the goods about. It's quite likely that they'll also be part of his Getaway!'

'How do we know that he won't leave a little earlier than planned?' asked Jo.

'We don't, not for certain,' admitted David. 'And that's why time is of the essence. Now, as to our positions...' He paused impressively.

'I aver that Belvedere will almost certainly try and kill Timmy if he sees him anywhere near his property ever again! So that is why I'm sending Tim, Jo and you, George, to the beach to try and find where those lorries from the shipment went. Julian, Dick, Anne, I have chosen you to head back up to Bosworth Manor to see if you can find any traces of a secret passage leading to the smuggling tunnels.

'That leaves us Franciscos to make our way up to Tidmouth and keep watch over certain areas of the town. As I said before, we know that the vehicles for transporting the goods are hearses, milk trucks and rubbish trucks. So Polly and Lily shall be watching the dairy, Justin and Charlie will be monitoring the funeral parlour, and Alex and I will keep a stakeout at the rubbish dump.'

'How do we keep in touch with each other?' asked Dick.

'That's where these walkie-talkies come in,' replied Justin. 'I think we're agreed that Julian, George and David should have them, so here they are.' So saying, he took two of the radios from David and handed them to George and Julian. 'If you get into trouble, at least you can call for help.'

'Thank you, Corporal Justin,' said David. 'Right, that's everything. Are there any more questions?'

'What did you do to Selwyn?' asked George tensely.

David smiled mischievously. 'We collected a mound of rubbish from around Edward's yard and put it into his tank along with the fuel! He won't be going far today, that's for sure! Anything else?'

This time, nobody moved. There were no more questions to ask.

'We've got to move quickly and carefully,' concluded David. 'Keep those packs with you at all times. Only use those radios in an emergency. Don't let yourselves be seen by any of Belvedere's men. And don't try anything foolish.' He set the cane down against the wall of the shed and tugged on the string, sending the screen, with the map of Sodor, spinning back into its socket. 'Let's go.'

He walked to the door and opened it. The team crowded out onto the lawn and stood in a line on the grass. Timmy followed and took his place at the end of the row. For the whole of David's pep talk, he had been sitting very still indeed at George's feet, watching David as though he were visiting royalty! One might almost say that he understood every single word of what the boy had said!

'Squad, atten-shun!' trumpeted David. 'Right turn! By the left, quick march!' Marching in perfect step, the eleven children marched across the lawn to the gate. There the group split up. George and Jo, with Timmy bounding round their heels, set off down the road to the beach at a run, while the others set off in the opposite direction towards the station. Timmy was wondering why they had all suddenly decided to play at being soldiers. But he knew that he could well be needed, so he didn't object.

As for the others, they made for the station, arriving just in time to board Edward's ten-thirty train up to Wellsworth. Once they got there, the party split up once more. This time, Julian, Dick and Anne disembarked from the train and leapt onto the stopping train that went from Tidmouth to Vicarstown. The three of them would be getting off at Killdane, near Bosworth Manor. Meanwhile, the Franciscos were travelling to Tidmouth to search for clues of their own.

Julian, Dick and Anne jumped off the train at Killdane Station and jogged up the hill towards Bosworth Manor. When they were about a hundred yards from the gates, Julian beckoned the other two into a cluster of bushes by the roadside.

'We can't risk being seen in Bosworth Manor twice in two days,' he whispered when they were hidden amongst the branches. 'Tell you what, I'll go and see if Belvedere is there. I don't think you should because he knows that you were on his property, but not me. Wait here – I'll be right back.'

'Oh Julian, do be careful!' begged Anne. 'Don't let Belvedere see you!'

'I won't,' assured Julian. 'Stay here, and make sure no one sees you. If he's not there or just very busy indeed, I'll raise my right arm and then you two come up as quietly as you can.' Glancing up and down the road to see if anyone was coming, the boy darted out of the bushes and hurried across the remaining space to the big yew hedge.

Julian pressed the branches aside and peered through them at the manor's downstairs windows. He could see Belvedere moving about, and wondered if it was possible to hear anything that was said. As if in answer, he noticed that one of the windows of the entrance hall was ajar. Good – anything he could hear would be of use.

Even by straining his ears, Julian couldn't make out what was being said. 'I'll have to get right up to the window,' he thought. 'I might have to tell Dick and Anne what's going on, of course, but it may take too long to run back and tell them. Well, I hope summoning them now will be worth the risk!'

Julian raised his arm and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dick and Anne emerge from the cover of the bushes and come hurrying up the road. When they had reached Julian and were crouched next to him, Julian explained what he had in mind.

'We're all going to have to crawl through the hedge and up to that window. We'll be able to hear everything that's being said. Now, don't you dare to make a sound, either of you! Now, that's Belvedere going into the drawing room. Up to the window – quick now!'

On hands and knees, without speaking, the three of them crawled through the tangles of the leafy hedge and up to the window, where they sat on the grass with their backs pressed against the wall.

Fortunately, they did not have long to wait. No sooner had they taken their places than a series of regular thumping footsteps told them that Belvedere was coming back. He was taking to someone whom the three children couldn't make out.

'...everything going according to plan. I am most grateful to you, Mr Hamilton. Thanks to you, I will have redirected that foolish police force away from here on a wild goose chase to another part of the island. Mabel! Is that kitchen cleared yet?'

'Nearly, my lord,' replied a feminine voice from the direction of the kitchen.

'Well, get a move on!' ordered Belvedere. 'I cannot leave any sign of life in this house. And do not think for a minute you can get away with stealing. Nothing is to be missing or tampered with.'

The unseen woman muttered something.

'What did you say?' demanded Belvedere, the words coming out like a whiplash.

'Nothin',' replied the voice meekly, and a loud clattering sounded from the kitchen.

'Now, my dear Hamilton, what was I saying?' said Belvedere, turning to the man he was with. 'Ah yes! Has anyone managed to find that map of ours?'

'No, my lord,' replied Mr Hamilton. 'And neither has that briefcase of Dr Francisco's. My guess is that it's been taken by those children who broke into this house yesterday afternoon while we were on the Other Railway.'

'Oh well, no matter,' replied Belvedere in a surprisingly airy tone. 'I believe those brats will almost certainly have taken the map and bag to the police and they will immediately assume that that flea-bitten, animal-loving fool Dr Sebastian Francisco is behind all this! In fact, I believe that, this time next month, he will be safely under lock and key while we lie back with all our hard-earned money!'

Julian, Dick and Anne exchanged shocked, furious looks. So Belvedere _was_ trying to frame Seb! The nerve of him! No wonder the Franciscos hated him!

'As for the map,' Belvedere was saying, 'I highly doubt that it will give much away. As you know, it is set over a real map of Sodor and, even if those little maggots are foolish enough to go exploring in them, they are so long and dark that they will not find their way out. The only proper way in or out is by car or lorry and, since they do not have a lorry, or even a driving licence, the map is of no concern to us. Fortunately, I took the precaution of drawing the tunnels over an actual map of Sodor.'

'My lord!' said Mr Hamilton, obviously impressed. 'Is there anything you don't think of?'

'Let us not talk about that now,' said Belvedere. 'Ah, hello, Ethel dear – we were just about to leave. We have a shipment to transport to southern England.' So saying, Belvedere took out a small silver whistle from inside his jacket and put it to his lips. Peep! At once, there was a clatter of running feet and, before the children's astonished eyes, almost every man who had appeared at the beach on the night of the shipment came running into the hall, grouping themselves in front of their master.

'Quiet!' ordered Lady Belvedere as the men clustered together noisily in front of them. 'Those who interfere shall be left behind and disallowed from the whole project.' The men hurriedly subsided.

'Comrades, we are ready to leave this fetid island for ever,' declared Belvedere, his voice booming out as he pocketed the whistle. 'Those little pests have all been dealt with – that is to say, they have been redirected from the main path, in a manner of speaking.' Everyone tittered loyally. 'But now, it is, as they say, time to go! Now, come on, we shall take the fast way out. Follow me.'

The children expected Belvedere to turn towards the front door, but instead he led the way towards the door to the cellar, the first room in the house that the Five had entered when they had searched Bosworth Manor. As they watched, Belvedere opened the door of the gun cabinet next to the cellar door and took out its biggest, most lethal-looking rifle, which he cradled across his chest. Then, once he'd closed the cabinet and opened the door to the cellar, he and the men marched through the door, Lady Belvedere and Mr Hamilton bringing up the rear. The door banged shut, and silence fell over the house like a cloak.

'What do we do now?' asked Dick at last. 'Do we go into the house and try and find those men?'

'Don't be silly,' said Julian. 'Break into Bosworth Manor in broad daylight – for a second time? There might be people still in there. In any case, I don't believe they're even still in the house.'

'But they must be,' protested Dick. 'There's only one place they can be, and that's the cellar. I vote we go down there now and have a look.'

'Can't we give it another minute or so?' asked Anne. 'They might still be there!'

'Use your brains, Anne,' said Julian impatiently. 'They've been gone for about two minutes, and we haven't heard so much as a peep out of them! Come on – let's try the cellar.'

Julian hurried over to the wooden doors leading into the cellar and warily pulled one door open, expecting the men to hear him. When nothing happened, he opened the other door. Then, taking his torch from his bag, he switched it on and shone it into the cellar. He let out a sudden exclamation.

'I say, you two! It's empty! There's no one in here! But that can't be possible! About ten men entered the cellar! However can they all have vanished like that?'

Dick and Anne switched them on and found that Julian was quite right! The cellar was completely bare! Steeling themselves, the three of them descended the stairs, Anne closing the door behind them. They flashed their torches round the cellar, but it was well and truly empty!

'This is silly,' said Dick, pocketing the torch just in case it should be needed again. 'A dozen men can't simply disappear into thin air – neither can any lorries.'

Anne had meanwhile wandered over to the shelves that contained the wine bottles. She wasn't sure why, but it somehow drew her attention.

'Look at all this,' she said. 'These must have cost a fortune. They're a bit dusty, but they must still be worth something.'

Julian turned to the wine shelf, and then he and Dick simply gazed in astonishment!

Anne had taken hold of a large, dark green bottle. As she pulled at it, the bottle seemed to pivot as though on the end of a lever. Anne grabbed at it, afraid she was about to drop it. Instead, it stayed in place, secured by a long bolt of metal. There was a click and, as the three of them watched, a whole section of the wall, with the wine cupboard still attached to it, swung outwards to reveal a concrete spiral staircase leading down into darkness!

'Anne! You genius!' cried Dick, hugging his sister. 'You've found the answer! Now we know where those men have gone! I feel sure that many of our classmates would give anything to have you for their sister!'

Anne blushed with pride. Of course, it hadn't been intentional, but her brothers were wise enough not to say so. Together, the three children brought out and switched on their torches, then entered the passage and began to walk down the stairs. As they did so, the piece of wall acting as a door swung shut behind them with a faint grating noise.

The only sound apart from the children's footsteps was a soft dripping noise of water trickling down the walls, which put them all in mind of dank, noisome castle dungeons. They held tight to their torches and moved in single file – Julian first, then Anne and finally Dick. The stairs twisted sharply around their axis, which meant that the three had to turn continually all the way down.

Luckily, the stairs were not especially long, and soon they reached the foot and found themselves in a long, fairly wide stone tunnel that led on from the staircase. Indeed the passage was so long that, due to a trick of perspective, the walls seemed to merge at a point at the far end! There was no sound at all, but even so Julian insisted that they tread softly.

'I know it _looks_ deserted,' he said. 'But we've solved enough mysteries to know that looks can be deceptive! Now come on, let's find out what all this is about.'

He set off down the tunnel – the others followed. The tunnel was long and rather stifling. The silence was very eerie indeed, so that all three children, even Julian, began to wish that something would happen. They even hoped that a sound would be heard, aside from the soft regular rapping of their footsteps against the cold stone floor.


	23. A Fine Treasure Trove

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

_**A fine treasure trove**_

It was lucky that Julian, Dick and Anne were all wearing combat gear. These sorts of clothes were made for low temperatures. It was very cold in the tunnel – 'When have we ever explored a warm tunnel?' Julian found himself thinking – and they were very grateful for the layers of clothing.

The three torches shone thick, bright streaks about five feet in front of them and picked out the brown sandstone rock that made up the walls, floor and ceiling. These were rather roughly hewn and the tunnel was quite narrow, so the three children had to move in single file with the ceiling only a few feet above their heads.

'Julian, where do you suppose this goes?' asked Dick at length. He'd forgotten about the echoes until the words passed his lips, but by then it was too late. Anne and Julian jumped as the tunnel resonated with 'You suppose this goes! Suppose this goes! This goes! Goes!'

'Whatever are you shouting for, Dick?' demanded Julian. 'Someone could be down this tunnel. If there is, he will almost certainly have heard you!'

'Sorry about that,' said Dick, and his echoes at once supported him. Almost despite herself, Anne giggled explosively. 'But I do wonder where this tunnel comes out!'

'Goodness knows,' said Julian. 'But as far as I can tell, this tunnel isn't sloping up, as it would if it were coming out somewhere. I think that it's ever so slightly sloping downwards.'

'I hope that it won't collapse,' said Anne, shivering in the cold air as she recalled the one occasion when a tunnel they had been exploring had caved in, almost trapping them underground!

'I doubt it will,' said Julian, running a hand gently across the tunnel wall. 'Sandstone is quite a strong sedimentary rock, so it makes jolly fine tunnels. Hallo, what's this?'

The tunnel had stopped at an ancient door of warped timber. A rusty iron grille was set into a tiny window at eye height, while an equally rusty ring suggested a way through. Julian peered through the grille and listened hard, but not a sound could be heard on the other side.

'All right,' he explained. 'I'm going to open the door and I want you both to hide yourself behind it on this side. There could very well be someone on the other side, and the last thing I want is us taken prisoner! And both of you turn off your torches. Their light will give us away in a minute!'

Slowly, carefully, Julian grasped the door handle, turned it and pulled. The door's ancient hinges screamed in protest. Julian winced. Gosh, if there was someone there, they must surely hear the racket the door was making! But there was no other way! He pulled harder and the door swung wide open. Julian beckoned and together, the three of them stepped over the threshold.

Now the tunnel opened out to form a cavern like nothing the three children had ever seen before!

It was a vast area, hollowed entirely out of the tunnel rock, with great wooden and steel beams supporting the ceiling. The floor was lightly carpeted with sand and straw, and the only light in the whole room came from a single lamp that dangled from a hook in the ceiling. But it wasn't the chamber itself that caused the children to halt, transfixed. It was what it contained! All three children agreed, without speaking, that this must be the goods that had been delivered by the submarines three nights ago. One thing was certain – it would make the people behind the scam millions of pounds!

Paintings set into ornate frames were propped against all the walls. Delicately sculpted statues made of gold, bronze and even stone stood proud and strong in small alcoves. Clusters of unmarked, lidless crates yielded hoards of gold, silver and gems, which sparkled in the torchlight. Chandeliers gleamed and tinkled quietly overhead, and a selection of vintage musical instruments rested against the walls in between the paintings. Televisions and radio equipment were stacked in one corner, a case of eloquently spun glassware in another. Wooden and plastic racks bore exquisite coats, scarves, hats and suits, whilst two chests displayed expensive-looking shoes. Cutlery, crockery and a few statuettes were displayed in oak boxes inlaid with silk. A collection of ancient weapons – rifles, pistols, handguns, knives, daggers and spears – were suspended from hooks in the wall.

'My word!' whispered Dick, his voice faint with awe. 'Just look what we've found! So this is where the smuggled goods are hidden – down a secret tunnel, along another secret tunnel! Sometimes, I admire the people we meet for their cleverness!'

'It's all so beautiful!' said Anne, almost as enraptured as her brother. 'Look at all this jewellery! I bet whoever owned this was as rich as the Queen!'

'I say, I believe these paintings are originals!' said Julian, bending down to examine them. 'You see, the canvas has a sort of crisp look and feel to it. Listen, it scratches when I run my finger over it. That shows that it's been around for a while. If it were a copy, then the material would be much fresher. They must be worth an absolute _fortune_!'

'Would you look at _this_?' cried Anne suddenly, and Dick and Julian turned to see her clutching a gorgeous porcelain vase about three feet high. It was painted in a spectrum of red, yellow and orange, with a golden dragon entwined round it. Rubies the size of peas were embedded in the fine china. One was set into the dragon's eye, giving it a rather threatening appeal.

'I know that vase!' cried Julian. 'I remember Father reading about it in the paper a few months ago. Apparently, it went missing from a place called the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, America. It was sent over by the Chinese from Beijing to show the famous friendship between the two cities. It's known as the Golden Dragon Vase, and worth about ten thousand American dollars, which is about five thousand pounds!'

'Now we know for certain where all this came from, and just how much they're worth,' said Dick as Anne carefully replaced the vase on its plinth. 'No wonder it all has to be so contained! This has to be a huge operation, and in a job like this, there's a limit to how many people one can trust. You never know who might betray you to the police!'

Julian suddenly raised his hand for silence. 'Quiet, Dick! I can hear something!'

The other two stood still as stone, listening intently. Yes, there was definitely something to be heard – the unmistakable sound of slow, stealthy footsteps!

'Someone's coming!' whispered Julian, grabbing Anne by the hand and diving behind the nearest crate. 'Come _on_, Dick, for goodness sake! Do you want to get yourself caught?'

Dick hastily joined his siblings and all three of them, after switching off their torches, crouched side by side, trying not to breathe. It was only now that they were here that Julian noticed something.

'Those footsteps are much lighter than ours!' he breathed. 'That means that either it's someone a good deal younger and smaller than us or some sort of animal.'

'But what do you think it is?' asked Dick. 'You don't think it's another of Belvedere's men whom we haven't yet seen?'

'It could be,' said Julian. 'Come on, Anne. You'll have nothing to fear if you're with me or Dick.'

The footsteps were now very close indeed to the room. A loud screaming noise started, and Julian at once turned to the door through which they'd come. But the door hadn't moved at all. Then he looked round and saw yet another door on the other side of the chamber.

But it wasn't on the door itself that the three children now fastened their gaze. It was on what – or rather, who – had come through the door!

'Timmy!' cried Dick, before he could stop himself. He and Anne leapt out from their hiding place and fussed over the big dog. 'However did you get here? Timmy, you clever boy!'

'Who's there?' came a voice from beyond the door, down the passage. 'Timmy! What have you found?' There followed the sound of running feet, two people by the sound of it.

Julian hurried out from behind the crate, turned on his torch and shone it down the tunnel, at the same time calling, 'Don't come a step closer until we know who you are!'

'Fair play, Julian,' said the voice as its owner and the owner's companion raised both hands to shield them against the torchlight. 'We mean you no harm. Don't be scared, it's only us.'

Julian lowered his torch in astonishment. 'Jo? George? Is that you? How did you get here? We were miles apart!'

'Well, it's a long story,' said Jo as she and George came into the room and stared around them. 'As I live and breathe, Julian, Dick and Anne! Whatever are you three doing down here? I say, this place is like Aladdin's cave! Some nasty bit of skulduggery must have been done to come up with goods like this, I shouldn't wonder!'

'First you tell us your story, and then we'll tell you ours,' said Julian firmly.

'I vote we have something to eat first,' said Dick. 'There must be some sort of alcove in this room where we can sit and have our sandwiches. Ah, there's one over there! And it looks just right for all six of us! Come on, everyone.'

He led the way to the alcove, where the sand and sawdust had been spread thickly and a few crates were arranged here and there to be used as chairs. Each of the five children pulled a crate into a sort of circle and sat down thankfully, while Tim sat contentedly at George's feet.

Once they were all comfortably seated, the children brought out the sandwiches, cake and lemonade that Sam had given them. As they dug in, Jo and George described what had happened.

'Well, we went to the beach, just as David told us to,' began Jo. 'We all had a jolly good poke round, but could find nothing at all. Then Timmy started barking and scratching at a certain part of the cliff. We went to see what was wrong and, just as we came near the part of the cliff where Tim was, there was a rumbling noise and that whole section of cliff face shifted to one side to reveal a long, dark tunnel cut into the cliff face!'

'Good gracious!' cried Julian in amazement. 'First a wine shelf, and now a whole part of a cliff are actually secret doors! What happened then?'

George took up the narrative. 'Well, there was this huge lorry coming down the tunnel, and Timmy and I recognised it as one from the squad that had helped with the shipment two nights ago. As it turned out, it was just coming to collect a few last minute supplies from a shed about half a mile from the beach. Well, as soon as the driver and his cohort had disappeared, I grabbed Tim and leapt into the back of the lorry, Jo right behind. Then those men came back with the supplies, loaded them into the back only a few feet from where we were hidden, got into the front and set off down the tunnel!'

'The journey took at least half an hour,' continued Jo. 'I tell you, when the lorry finally stopped, we could have sung with relief, the journey was so bumpy and uncomfortable. I don't think Timmy enjoyed it at all – he would almost certainly have whined, maybe even howled, if he hadn't known what was at stake! Anyway, we scrambled out and hid in a corner until the lorry went. And that was strange too! The engine revved and the lorry sped off all right. But then we heard a grating noise and then a section of the tunnel wall on our left slid shut behind the lorry! We tried to go after them, but the wall had closed in such a way that it simply could _not_ be opened from our side.'

'We decided to have a sit down while we thought over what to do next,' said George. 'So we found a tiny alcove cut into the tunnel wall and crouched low. As I sat down, I had to lean against the back wall of the niche and it swung inwards like a door! The niche was nothing more than the front porch of an earthy tunnel! Anyway, we got up and set off down the tunnel, but about halfway down, Timmy suddenly barked and went tearing off the rest of the way, leaving us to run full tilt after him! Well, you can guess the rest, Julian! Now it's your turn!'

Together, Julian and Dick explained what had happened at Bosworth Manor, what they had heard from Lord Belvedere, how he, his wife and their men had seemingly vanished, only for the children to discover that they had simply gone down a passage hidden behind a wine cabinet in the cellar, how Julian, Dick and Anne had entered this passage and followed it to the treasure cave, and then how they had heard Timmy, George and Jo and foolishly assumed it was one of Belvedere's men!

'I suppose the question we've got to ask ourselves is, what are we going to do now?' said Jo at last.

'We've got to go and tell the police!' said Dick at once. 'We can't let Belvedere get away with this now that we're so close to catching him! That would be absolutely sickening, to actually find out the truth about what he's up to and then let him slip through our fingers!'

'But we can't just walk out of here and hope to come back later,' said Anne. 'What if Belvedere leaves in that time? We'd look like complete fools to the police, and Belvedere would still escape!'

'We might have no choice,' said Julian. 'I suppose the right thing to do is for one or two of us to go to the police while the rest of us stay here in case Belvedere does leave. But who'll go to the police?'

'I'm not running away from a chance to take Belvedere down!' said George fiercely. 'It's my dog he tried to kill, and I do want to make him pay! So I'm jolly well _not_ running to the police!'

'All right, so that's George out of the question,' said Julian, managing to smother a smile. 'So I suppose it ought to be Anne and Jo.'

'But why me?' demanded Jo, looking most offended. 'I want to see this through! Besides, you might need help if Belvedere catches you down here!'

'You're a girl, Jo, and...' began Julian, and then stopped abruptly as he remembered David's words about girls. 'Because I think it's better if you go instead of us,' he said lamely. 'We can easily take Belvedere on face to face if...' He stopped again and the others soon realised why!

'Hurry up and get those lorries loaded up, men!' bellowed a dreadfully familiar voice. 'We have a long journey ahead of us, and the sooner we get on our way, the better!'

Everyone froze, and listened. The door through which George, Jo and Timmy had come had not been closed fully, so they could hear everything that was going on. A faint grating noise at the far end of the tunnel had sounded. That meant that someone had opened the secret door in the other tunnel, the ones that were built for the lorries! And now someone was starting to come down that passage!


	24. Prisoners!

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

_**Prisoners!**_

'Quick!' hissed Julian. 'Hide!' At once, the five children and Timmy dived for the nearest available hiding places – Dick and Jo behind crates, Anne and Julian behind a coat rack, and George and Timmy behind the mound of television and radio equipment.

From their hiding place, Julian and Anne could see three people coming down the passage – Mr Williams in front, Mr Hamilton directly behind them and Mr Taylor scurrying smarmily in their wake. As they reached the door, Mr Williams gave a sudden exclamation.

'This door is open! It was closed when we came out to the lorries, and now it's open!'

'Maybe we didn't close it properly,' suggested Mr Taylor. 'We were in such a hurry to get the lorries ready that it's very likely we forgot.'

'It doesn't matter really, Taylor,' said Mr Hamilton. 'We'll be out of here in a couple of hours. What does an open door matter to us?'

'Keep your voice down, Hamilton!' snarled Mr Williams. 'There's still a chance we're being listened to! Now let's get on with it before we fall behind schedule!'

Wordlessly, the men began seizing crates and sacks, and dragging them out of the cavern and down the tunnel. Moments later, they returned with the remaining seven men following behind, and set to work again, but with zest. Crates were hoisted from the ground and carried away. Sacks were slung over shoulders and humped to the other tunnel.

The children watched in growing dismay. The men had absolutely no idea that they were there! Not only were they removing any possible hiding places, but they were getting ever closer to catching their uninvited guests! How they wished now that they'd thought to hide in the passage that Julian, Dick and Anne had come down prior to their finding the treasure cave!

Julian knew that he would have to somehow tell that to the others without making a sound. So as soon as the men left with one particularly large cargo, he waved frantically at Dick to get his attention and, when his brother was looking his way, he pointed vigorously, first to Dick, and then at the door through which they and Anne had come through. Dick's face slowly became a mask of comprehension as he nodded and, after glancing at the door to make sure that the men weren't coming back, somehow managed to get the message across to George.

None of them had time to slip across, of course, for the men returned almost as soon as all five children, and Timmy, had got the message. Ninety seconds later, the men left the room once more and the children were on their own.

'Ready?' hissed Julian. 'After three – one, two, _three_!'

The children leapt up and ran for the door. But alas! Just as he'd almost reached the door, Dick caught his foot on a small stack of crates! Down he went, wham, into the sandy floor, and brought down three or four crates with him as well! They crashed to the ground just behind him and their contents, several thousand pounds worth of priceless jewels, spilled out all over the floor!

Everyone in the tunnel heard the noise! Mr Williams let his sack of handguns drop to the ground, then turned and bellowed down the length of the tunnel.

'Who's there? Come out right now or you'll be sorry! What are you doing down there?'

'Quick, let's get out of here!' said Julian urgently, yanking Dick to his feet. 'Those men will be here in minutes! Come _on_, Dick! Put your back into it!'

But it was too late! Just as they had passed through the door, the men reappeared in the main chamber. Not surprisingly, they saw the five children at once and charged at them. Julian tried to slam the door in their faces, but Mr Taylor managed to get his foot in the crack while his comrades poured through the door and seized the children.

George felt her arms being twisted behind her back and pinned in place. She tried to wrench herself free, but Mr Williams was too strong for her. A sudden yelp told her that Timmy had been caught and perhaps suffered the consequences of trying to attack his captor! She could have screamed with fear and rage, but all her concentration was fixed on trying to break free, although she quickly realised that it was quite impossible!

As they all struggled hard, two figures appeared, walking down the last of the stairs, and suddenly the children were filled with hatred for both of them.

'Well, well, well,' drawled Lord Belvedere, peering at the children through his monocle and drawing on one of his fat Cuban cigars. He was carrying the rifle from the gun cabinet under one arm, and a bullet belt could be seen fastened around his ample waist. 'What have we here?'

'A nice little clutch of bandits, I'll be bound,' growled Mr Williams, tightening his grip on George. 'Shall we tie them up, sir? Make sure they're not going to run away? I've got the ropes.'

'Very well, Williams,' said Belvedere, who was clearly relishing this. 'But first, these brats need to answer some questions for us.'

'We're not burglars, you horrible man!' cried Anne, her eyes full of tears. 'We came through the tunnel behind the wine shelf!'

Belvedere stiffened, but then relaxed. 'Ah, perfect! Then you can tell me how much you have found out. Go on, Julian. You are the leader – tell all.'

Julian glowered at Belvedere, but forced himself to speak. 'Well, we've found a huge amount of goods in the tunnel. We also saw the shipment that brought them here – they came here three nights ago in submarines. You sent someone out to pretend to be Dr Francisco as a way of framing him for theft. Who is the man, anyway? Is he here?'

Belvedere clicked his fingers, and a man stepped forward. He was tall and thin, with dark hair and a hard, watchful face. It took the Five a little time to recognise him.

'Noah!' exclaimed Dick. 'I should have known! It was a Spanish accent we heard from the man on the beach, and you're the only Spaniard on Sodor! And here you are, working for _him_!'

'Hold your tongue!' snarled Noah.

Dick stared at him in disbelief. 'So you speak English! You were pretending not to all the time! And it was you on the beach pretending to be Seb!'

'Quiet!' hissed Belvedere, blowing cigar smoke in Dick's face. 'Noah, explain your part in all this.'

'Certainly, my lord,' smirked Noah. 'Well, I was the agent working for Belvedere, but employed by Dr Francisco. It was I in the overcoat you saw on the beach. Everyone referred to me as doctor as a way of telling onlookers that it _was_ Dr Francisco who was behind all this. After all, no one wants to think badly of an aristocrat, do they? I also stole Francisco's bag and pipe and concealed it in Bosworth Manor, only you kids found it and then began spoiling everything. And, since you told me where you were camping, I told His Lordship and he personally trampled your tents to the ground.'

'Thank you, Noah,' said Belvedere. 'Well, it would seem that Dr Francisco has a traitor in his midst, if only he were aware of it.'

'But why have you been trying to frame Seb all this time?' demanded George, her voice quivering slightly in anger.

'I should have thought the answer was obvious to you,' replied Belvedere. 'Dr Francisco has past links with the Navy, and he does have a house big enough to hide anything. In any case, no one will truly suspect me – I am, after all, a knight of the realm! Now, Julian, kindly continue with your tale.'

'You're planning to smuggle the goods across Sodor by using rubbish trucks, milk floats and hearses to carry them away,' went on Julian, purposely avoiding Noah's eye. 'They're going to be loaded onto a train and taken to the south of England. I don't know what happens then. I suppose you and your mob go with them and live happily ever after.'

'Julian, you have outlined my plans with perfect clarity,' said Belvedere. 'But I believe you have missed out one thing...' Once again, he clicked his fingers. This time, another of the men emerged from the darkness. The children would have recognised him even if he hadn't been ensconced in a wheelchair, being pushed into the open by the weedy figure of Mr Powell.

Although they were seeing the two men properly for the first time, the five children recognised both of them from Tidmouth Yard. Mr Reaper was short and fat with thinning gingery hair, protrusive ears and a pale, unhealthy-looking skin tone. He also had a slight cast in one milky eye, and his legs looked quite weakened. The children could see his small feet poking out underneath the tartan blanket that was spread across his knees. Mr Powell's monkey-like face leered unpleasantly at the captives as he brought the wheelchair to a halt in front of them, his veined and knotted hands clenching and unclenching on the handles.

'Ah, my dear friend, Gerald Reaper!' exclaimed Belvedere. 'I suppose your friend David told you about his – ahem – accident. Well, you see, he was working for me. His weapons dealership was directed by me, but I let Mr Reaper take the credit so that no one would suspect me. But then things got unpleasant. The poor man was on the run with no way out. So when I came to Sodor, I paid him to fake his suicide on Culdee Fell. As he fell through the cloudbank around Devil's Back, there were some people waiting just out of sight to catch and conceal him from the police. Then we put out the word that he had died on the slopes of the mountain. The plan worked beautifully, but sadly he is now confined to his wheelchair.'

'But it was worth it,' stated Mr Reaper. He had a deep, gravelly voice, and Julian remembered Edward saying that the man had been a chain smoker. 'Everyone thought I was dead, so we could go on with the deals in secret. His Lordship hired gangs in America ter send him as much treasure as they could from the shops an' museums, while he dealt with these tunnels. It was difficult an' expensive, but very effective! This cave we're standing in's one of three used ter house the treasure. One of the others is beneath Tidmouth an' used fer distribution. The other's under the Skarloey Railway fer storage an' keepin' track of whether we've enough goods ter earn the fortune that'll soon be ours.'

'But what about that voice we heard, on Culdee Fell?' asked Dick, suddenly remembering.

'Ah, I'm glad yer followin' this,' said Mr Reaper, allowing himself a proud smirk. 'The day I went up Culdee Fell fer the last time, I was wired fer sound. His Lordship insisted that it was part o' the plan. So when I said my "last words", they were recorded, an' then played from time ter time through a speaker system hidden in the basement o' Summit Station.'

Mr Reaper suddenly reached into the folds of his blanket and brought out an inhaler. He took two or three puffs from the mouthpiece and restored it to the folds of the blanket before continuing. 'You an' yer friends jus' happened ter be in the right place at the right time. We'd hoped that playin' the voice while you were on the mountain slopes might spook you away. But o' course, it did no such thing! We should've known better! Well now, we're goin' ter make you all pay fer stickin' yer noses in other people's business.'

Mr Powell had suddenly noticed Jo, and a scowl appeared on his face. 'So _you're_ the little urchin who was at Bosworth Manor and the boathouse! Well, just you tell us what brings you down here.'

'They're my friends,' said Jo simply, nodding towards Julian and the others. 'I was only stopping them from being caught. George and Timmy were about to be captured at the boathouse, and Dick and Anne hid under Belvedere's bed while he was blasting off about that diesel mix-up.'

Dick gave her a glare, but they were in so much trouble already that a little more could hardly hurt.

'For that matter,' said Julian as a sudden thought struck him, 'why did you need the boathouse anyway? And why were Mr Powell and Mr Reaper in Tidmouth Yard last night?'

'We were usin' the boathouse as a monitorin' unit for keepin' track o' jus' what had been brought into our caves, an' what was bein' shipped out again, usin' mainframe computers,' explained Mr Reaper, an unpleasant gleam entering his almost lifeless eyes. 'Fer the same reasons we chose the vehicles we used, we had ter choose places where no one'd dream o' lookin'. You children weren't ter know this, but the vehicles we used – the hearses, milk floats an' rubbish trucks – were active from time ter time durin' much o' yesterday. This means that the hearses an' the milk floats operated at half-hour intervals throughout yesterday. An' today it's the turn o' the rubbish trucks...

'Anyway, we'd a goods monitor at Bosworth Manor, hidden in that secret chamber in the drawin' room, an' so two more were needed. We set one up in the Skarloey Lake boathouse, an' another in the town o' Tidmouth itself, in the old bus depot. The last two've tunnels down ter their own treasure caves. Mr Powell an' me were on our way ter a meeting at the depot last night when we saw you go round the back o' the Roundhouse an' disappear through the fire door. I thought I caught a glimpse o' you children while Mr Powell was gettin' the all-clear, so I told him an' he went ter make sure. But that blasted dog o' yers leapt through the shed window after him an' would've got him if we hadn't left the yard as soon as he'd seen you fer himself.'

'But now we have work to do,' said Belvedere briskly. 'You children have found the map and doctor's bag that were central to all my plans. Thanks to you, the police and the Fat Controller are sure to be watching us all. I am afraid you will have to be eliminated as quickly as possible to prevent you telling tales on us. It would be most dreadful for business if the truth leaked out! So you are all to be sent away to another country, to ensure no one tells tales to the police – that would never do!'

'You're mad!' cried Dick. 'You won't get away with this, I know you won't! I bet the police are waiting for you right now outside Bosworth Manor!'

'Do not tell untruths!' sneered Lady Belvedere. 'The police know almost nothing about what we are really up to and, once we have disposed of all of you, they never will!'

Timmy barked loudly and tried to bite both Belvederes on the ankle. Belvedere snarled and aimed a rather inept kick at Tim – inept because Tim was being restrained by Mr Taylor and thus out of range, and His Lordship's leather shoes were too stiff and blunt to create any great pain.

'Swine!' raged George, once again writhing against Mr Williams' grasp. 'I just can't imagine why the Fat Controller let someone like you stay on Sodor! His engines are already saying how glad they'll be to see the back of you!'

Belvedere hesitated, and then turned to Mr Williams and Mr Taylor. 'Tie them up!' he spat. 'Do not let them escape! I suggest you put them in the decoy van – that will keep them quiet!' He turned to his wife. 'Come, Ethel, my love! Selwyn is waiting, and so is my ticket off this awful island!'

The two aristocrats turned and marched away down the passage that led to the outer tunnel. The children, struggling furiously, were flung into one of the cell-like rooms leading out from the treasure room. This wasn't really a room at all, but closely resembled a coal cellar. Their captors said nothing, but flung the children to the room's sooty floor and strode out. Mr Williams slammed the door and turned the key, and there was silence.

The five children lay on the floor of the cell, while Timmy lay sprawled in a mound of soot where Mr Taylor had hurled him. Now that they looked at each other, they saw that they were all coated in soot. It must have become dislodged from the ceiling when the door slammed, and they had clearly picked some up from the floor.

George hurried over to Tim, and checked him over to see if he'd been hurt. 'Oh, Tim! I'm so glad those horrid men didn't hurt you! I'd never have forgiven myself if they had!' Not caring that Tim was thickly smeared with soot, she hugged him and grew the blackest of them all. Then Tim shook himself, sending a cloud of soot all over the five children.

Surprisingly, Julian hadn't said anything yet. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, his back against the filthy wall, deep in thought.

'Are you all right, Julian?' asked Jo. 'Penny for your thoughts?'

'That diesel Belvedere mentioned...' said Julian slowly.

'What about it?' said Dick, brushing soot and roof dust off his jacket.

'He said it was called Selwyn,' said Julian. 'Does that name mean something to you, Dick?'

Dick thought hard for a moment, gazing at the ceiling. Then it hit him. 'Of course!' he cried, omitting to whisper. 'Why didn't I think of that name before? He's the diesel that the Franciscos...'

'Will you keep your voice down, Dick?' hissed Julian, flinging a handful of soot at his brother. 'Do you want Mr Williams to know our secret, you silly ass?'

'Sorry,' said Dick, lowering his voice. 'I mean to say, he's the diesel that the Franciscos fed dirty fuel, isn't he? They only meant to teach him a lesson, but maybe things will work out all right!'

'You know what this means, don't you?' said Jo, her face suddenly aglow with anticipation. 'If Belvedere does try and leave Sodor on Selwyn, then the fuel will clog the diesel's works and hopefully bring him to a standstill long enough for the police to come after him and finish the job!'

'But what can we do?' asked George. 'We can't just sit back and do nothing! What if the police don't find out that Belvedere's getting away in Selwyn? Belvedere could so easily get away and leave us here to starve to death!'

'Don't be stupid,' said Julian. 'I'm sure the police will find out what's happening, and guess what Belvedere plans to do. And even if Belvedere is horrible, I'm sure he wouldn't leave us to starve. But I don't think that the police or the engines will work out that he's using Selwyn.'

'Yes he will,' said Anne suddenly. 'Remember what Thomas said yesterday? He said that Selwyn was only staying on Sodor for a night, and that he had an important job to do. So it's quite likely that the engines will make the link between Belvedere and Selwyn!'

Suddenly, there was the rattle of a key in the lock. Then the door swung inwards and in marched the three men now carrying several lengths of thick sturdy rope.

The children should have expected what was coming – after all, it had happened to each of them at least once before. They struggled hard, but all three men were much stronger than they were. They held the children in iron grips and tied them up very professionally indeed. The ropes were very strong and tight, which ensured that the children couldn't possibly escape in any way! As for Timmy, he was firmly secured with a makeshift lead and left in the care of a rather tense Mr Taylor.

After a few minutes, Mr Williams stood up. 'They're all secure! I suggest we carry them to the convoy. Then we can load up the goods and be on our way.'

Five of the men seized a child apiece and, once Mr Williams had opened the door to the sandy tunnel, they dragged them through the passage into the outer tunnel. There, standing in a line, were all three of the enormous lorries that the children had seen on the beach during the shipment. Parked just behind them were a Rolls-Royce the children recognised as Belvedere's, two white vans and what seemed to be a small, dark green army tank.

Mr Powell flung open the doors and the Five were dumped inside against the wall. Mr Taylor then entered, dragging a writhing Timmy with him, and trussed the dog to a ring fastened to the wall of the van. Then he retreated, banging the doors shut behind him, and got into the front. There followed the sound of more doors slamming and engines starting, and then they all moved off!

'It's no good, Julian!' said George, her voice filled with frustration and despair. 'That Mr Williams has done the ropes too tight! The skin's coming off my wrists, and there's no give in them at all!'

'Don't say that, George!' said Dick. 'Where there's a will, there's a way!'

'But it really doesn't look like there's any way out,' said George miserably. 'I mean, look at this place! The doors locked, we're tied up, and there are men in the front who will make sure we don't leave! What _are_ we to do?'


	25. Jo And Tim Play Their Part!

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

_**Jo and Tim play their part!**_

'Where's Jo?' said Anne suddenly. The others looked round the back of the van. Yes, there was no Jo to be seen! So where _was_ she?

'It's possible she was left behind,' said Julian. 'Belvedere was furious to find that she intruded on the boathouse and Bosworth Manor. It might be that he wants to settle the score with her.'

'But don't you think that he would have given orders for us to be left behind as well?' said George, grimacing at the thought of His Lordship. 'After all, we've done far more to upset his plans then Jo has, and besides she was only trying to help us.'

'So where do you suppose Jo is?' asked Dick.

At this point, they heard a voice say 'Sit still, you young devil!' and then another voice say meekly 'Yes, sir!' They exchanged excited looks – that was certainly Jo's voice!

'Shall we try and catch her attention again?' suggested Dick, keeping his voice low and glancing into the driver's cab. 'She might be able to think of a way out of here – you know what Jo's like!'

'If we do, Mr Williams or whoever's driving will be sure to see us!' said Julian. 'No, I think we ought to wait until we slow down and the men get out, then we'll try!'

'But that might not be for ages!' said George, her voice tense with impatience. 'We've got to stop Belvedere, and we can't if we're trapped in this van!'

'Oh, what I wouldn't give for a quiet holiday!' said Anne. 'No matter where we go, we always get caught up in adventures!'

'Come on, Anne, we've got into worse scrapes than this,' said Julian. 'All we've got to do is wait until these men have dropped their guard, and then we'll act!'

'Do you reckon the engines might realise we're missing and raise the alarm?' said Dick. 'They did say they would be relying on us to put a stop to Belvedere's plans. So I bet that, once they know we haven't made contact, they'll tell the Fat Controller, and like as not form a search party!'

'What do you mean, not made contact?' said Anne in surprise. 'You've got a walkie-talkie, Julian. It's in your bag over there.' She nodded towards a corner of the van where their backpacks had been flung by Mr Powell.

'Gosh!' groaned Julian. 'If only I'd thought to contact Seb as soon as we saw the treasure cave! If only I'd thought to put it in my pocket! Now, if I try and contact him, Mr Taylor will be sure to hear me! What a fool I am!'

'Oh, pull yourself together, Julian!' said Dick in exasperation. 'You're not a fool at all! Remember everything that you've done for us! Remember all these smashing hiking and camping trips you've organised! In fact, the reason the Five of us came together is largely because of you!'

'Well, yes, I suppose so,' said Julian, forcing a smile to his face. 'But I still don't think we can risk those men hearing us and stopping us from escaping! I say we should all just lie back and think of a way out of here. By my reckoning, I believe it's going to be a long trip.'

'What do you mean?' said George anxiously. 'These sorts of tunnel never go a very long way, do they? I mean to say, they have to come out _somewhere_!'

'Well, David said that the two tunnels meet at Bosworth Manor,' said Julian, 'and that one of them, the one besides the one you and Jo came up, George, led towards Tidmouth, which is where the Franciscos have gone. And as we all know, that's a long way from Bosworth Manor! So we might as well sit back and enjoy the ride!'

Well, I'm sorry to say that the journey took a very long time indeed, before the van began to slow down. The children had dozed off over the journey, slumped awkwardly against the wall. The van swung a sharp right and began climbing uphill for a few seconds before the ground levelled out. Then it slowed down again and finally stopped. The driver sounded the horn, and then drove on. Now sunlight streamed into the rear of the van and, about half a minute later, the van stopped again.

As the children listened intently, the men left the van and marched away!

'I wonder where they're going,' hissed Julian, comforting himself with the knowledge that the men couldn't hear him. 'But we can't try and break out – they could be back at any moment! I'm afraid we must bide out time until something turns up.'

'But what if something doesn't turn up?' said George, her blood running cold at the thought. 'What if the men decide to take us all the way to the harbour? We may never be seen or heard from again!'

'You're such an optimist, aren't you, George?' said Dick, almost smiling. 'But Julian's right. There's no knowing if the men are just outside or if they're even now walking away.'

'Yes there is,' said Anne. 'Listen!'

Everyone listened. Sure enough, they could all make out the men's voices from outside the van. By the sound of it, they were no more than ten yards away, so they would be sure to hear the children if they tried to escape!

'I'm sure the men wouldn't dare to take us away,' said Julian bracingly. 'Tim would growl like anything if they even try!'

George felt much comforted, as she did whenever someone complimented her dog. So long as they had Tim, they were still in with a chance!

All this while, Jo had been occupied in her own way. She had travelled all the way from the cave in the front of the van. Not only were her hands and feet tied together, but Mr Powell had taken the extra precaution of looping an extra rope round her waist and trussing it behind her seat.

'That's ter make absolutely sure you don't escape,' growled Mr Reaper, who was still seated in his wheelchair – one of the front seats had been removed to make way for him. 'We're goin' ter parade you down the Ffarquhar quarry line ter show yer godfather Mr Crowe an' yer friends in the Ffarquhar crew what happens ter those who dare ter defy His Lordship.'

Jo was many things, but she wasn't stupid. She knew that, while the men were in the van, there was no chance of escape, not that there had been any to begin with! It wasn't till they had moved off that Jo realised that her seat wasn't a seat at all, but a length of thick metal pipes set against the skin at the back of the cab. The men were taking no chances where she was concerned!

Soon they were on their way, and that was when Jo made an even better discovery. They went over a particularly rough part of the tunnel, and the van jolted violently. As it did so, Jo felt a sudden pain in her hand. At first, she thought it was her bonds, but looking down, she caught sight of a jagged piece of metal jutting out of the skin of the van just by her tethered hands. With a quick glance at the men, she set the ropes around her wrist against the bit of metal and tried sawing back and forth.

Mr Taylor glanced round and saw her. 'Sit still, you young devil!' he commanded

Jo abruptly ceased. 'Yes, sir,' she said meekly. Mr Taylor grunted and turned back. Jo decided to wait until the men left the van, if they did. Then she would try to make her escape! All the same, the girl made herself sleep. She had a hunch that she would need all the strength she could get if she was to break away.

As things were, it felt like at least an hour before Belvedere's Rolls-Royce suddenly slowed down and its right-hand indicator began flashing. There was a small opening in the wall of the tunnel, just large enough for the convoy to turn into. All the same, as the van followed the sleek black car through the opening, it was rather a tight fit. But that was forgotten as it suddenly began climbing uphill. Jo assumed that they were finally on their way out to the open air. And she was right! Moments later, the convoy stopped and the Rolls-Royce sounded its horn. Next second, a crack of daylight appeared, widening as a sort of door opened in the wall of rock. The convoy then rolled forward through the gap and into another tunnel. This widened until it fell away altogether, and the cavalcade was suddenly in a large open space that Jo recognised at once.

'This is the quarry at the end of Thomas' branch line, the one that Toby always comes down with Henrietta!' she thought. 'Now it makes sense! As we got near the opening, the walls got sandier. The quarry has sandy soil, while in the open country, it's earthier. Now I suppose that the men are going to parade down the quarry road to show the people of Ffarquhar what they're up against.'

As a matter of fact, the Rolls-Royce at the front stopped right at that moment, as did the two vans and the army truck. Then Jo heard a sound that made her heart skip – the clunk of car doors opening and closing, and the crunch of many feet on gravel! The men were leaving their cars! Surely the men in this van would do the same!

And they did! A man appeared outside the window on the driver's side and addressed Mr Williams who was in the driving seat. 'We have a problem on our hands, Mr Williams,' he explained, and Jo judged from the Spanish inflection that it was Noah. 'The quarry manager has flagged us down, he's just over there. Best go and see what he wants.'

'Very well,' growled Mr Williams, switching off the engine and slipping the key into his pocket. 'Come on, you two. Let's attend to the manager. And _you_,' he snarled at Jo, 'you stay right where you are or you wish you'd never been born!'

He opened the door and climbed out, then hurried round to the passenger side to help Mr Reaper out. Mr Reaper leered unpleasantly at Jo as his wheelchair was lowered to the ground and Mr Powell pushed him away. Mr Taylor climbed out after him, and the door slammed. Neither door was locked, but then the men didn't intend to be gone for very long. Jo was on her own!

The little girl wasted no time. Instead, she began sawing her trussed wrists against the piece of metal jutting through the metal of the van. Once or twice, she nicked the skin of her wrists, but in her desperation, she hardly felt it. After about ninety seconds, the ropes fell apart and her hands were free!

Jo tensed, listening. Any moment, she expected one of the men to come back and find her escaping! What would she do if they did? But the voices outside were quite distant. She glanced through the windscreen and saw the whole party making their way in a body towards the manager's office! Jo could have sung with relief! It seemed things were working out in their favour after all!

The girl reached into her pocket and took out a penknife. It had been given to her by her Uncle Alfredo, a fire-eater at a travelling circus, for a late birthday present, and she hadn't got round to testing it out yet. She had seen George, Dick and Julian each carry a similar knife once before, and had asked for one just like theirs. And here it was, simply crying out to be put to use!

Moving quickly, Jo flicked open the knife at its largest, sharpest blade and set to work on her other bonds, first the ones at her waist, and then at her feet. Thankfully, both were severed without mishap! Smiling to herself, the girl pocketed the knife and softly reached across for the van door.

Just as Jo grasped the door handle, an awful thought struck her! 'I may have helped Dick and the others three times before,' she reasoned to herself. 'But I still can't go running off down the quarry line on my own. What if the men see me and send a message to Belvedere? They'll have me caught before I get anywhere near Ffarquhar. I'll need something I can use to defend myself with, and to support my story if I'm to repeat it to the police!'

Her first thought was that she could use her knife in self-defence, but that was absurd! 'Those men might have guns,' she thought. 'They'll almost certainly be armed in some way! I'll need something I can use that will put me at an advantage – something that those men won't be expecting, something I can show to the police as evidence of what's going on!'

And then it hit her! 'Not some_thing_! Some_one_! Of course, of course! _Timmy!_ Those men didn't lock the back of the van, or if they had, I would have had no chance of getting out of here alone! All I have to do is slip out of the cab, get into the back and untie Tim! Then we'll be off!'

Jo reached across and grabbed the door handle. She turned it as slowly as she dared, and pushed. The door opened. Jo crawled out, looking round all the while as she gently pushed the door shut behind her. It was just as well that the side she had got out on was hidden from the manager's office! If it hadn't, she would have been a sitting duck for anyone who looked out of the window!

By straining her ears, Jo could make out what was being said. The words filtered through a crack in the office door, which wasn't quite closed. By the sound of it, Mr Williams was warning the quarry manager what was going on, and the manager was inclined to doubt what was being said.

'I mustn't hang around,' thought Jo. 'I have to get the others out. I've got to get Tim and get out, now.' She ran on tiptoe to the back of the van and grabbed the handle of one of the doors. Thankfully, it opened when she pulled it. Glancing around as she did so, the girl crept in.

Jo looked up at four astonished faces, and at once placed a finger to her lips. The Five understood. Not one of them could afford to give the game away, not when Jo was so close to freedom. The girl crawled carefully across the van floor and, taking out her knife once again, began to hack away at the rope binding Timmy to the wall of the van.

Within seconds, Tim was free. He licked first Jo's hand, and then George's. Jo grinned with relief – Tim seemed to understand perfectly that he mustn't make a sound. The dog and girl slipped out of the van, but before she closed the door, Jo whispered to the others, 'Don't worry! We'll soon have you out of here!'

Closing the door behind her, Jo beckoned to Tim and the two of them hurried as softly as possible across the yard, making for a mound of freshly dug sand. Once they were there, Jo sank to her knees and hugged Timmy, thrilled that things seemed to be going well for them at last! Timmy licked Jo lavishly. He knew that, so long as he was with her, his family stood a chance of escaping the odious Lord Belvedere's grasp!

At last, Jo pushed Tim firmly away. 'We neither of us can afford to waste any time, Timmy dear!' she said softly. 'We've got to find Thomas and the rest of the Ffarquhar crew and tell them what's happening! But first we have to get out of here! When I tell you, you must run for the exit over there just as fast as you can! But don't worry – I'll be right behind you all the way! Do you understand what we have to do?'

'Woof!' said Tim solemnly. He understood perfectly that Jo wanted him to obey her, and just how serious the situation was!

Jo glanced out from behind the mound of sand. The manager's office door was still half-closed, but there came the sound of movement from inside. Then the door opened and a few disembodied voices floated across the quarry. Belvedere's men were going to appear at any moment! It was now or never!

'Ready, Tim?' she whispered. '_Now!_'

Tim and Jo leapt to their feet and tore across the yard towards the exit. They had almost reached it when Belvedere's men emerged from the manager's office! Mr Williams saw them almost at once!

'They're getting away! After them!' he roared. Mr Taylor and Mr Powell obligingly gave chase, but Timmy and Jo were both so fast on their feet that they soon outstripped them and sped off down the quarry line.

The girl and the dog pounded along the track, only slowing down for bends in the line, eyes open for anything ahead and ears open for anything behind. Along the railway line they sprinted, Timmy's long legs flying over the sleepers in great strides. Keep going, Tim! We're right behind you! We hope you'll find help soon! Your mistress George is counting on you! Jo will be beside you all the way in case anything bad happens! Go for it, Jo and Tim! You can do it!


	26. Keeping Watch

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

_**Keeping watch**_

Now I'm afraid we must leave the two fugitives and travel back about an hour or so. It was around this time that the six Francisco children reached the Big Station aboard Edward's train.

'Good luck, children,' said Edward. 'I only wish I could go with you, but I can't travel on roads unless I'm on a lorry. Besides I have work to do.'

'Never fear, Edward,' said David confidently. 'We'll see to it that the Belvederes are truly flushed out!' He turned to the others. 'Right, chaps, you know where to go and what we have to do. Here are two more radios – one for Justin and one for Polly. Now that we can keep in touch easily, we should be all right. See you later, and don't forget to have your lunches sometime soon.'

Edward whistled good luck as the children jogged out of the station. Once they were out on the main road beyond the station, the group split into three. David and Alex turned their course towards the dump, Justin and Charlie the funeral parlour and Polly and Lily the dairy.

David and Alex soon reached the chain link fence that surrounded the tip. A path reserved for rubbish trucks led between teetering piles of foul-smelling rubbish, and beyond them were a few untidy stacks of dead, broken cars. To help save money, the manager had agreed to have the space at the rear of the tip converted into a scrapyard.

'I suppose the best we do now is sit and wait,' said Alex, looking round for somewhere to sit down.

'Precisely,' said David, sitting down at the foot of a tree a few yards from the gate. 'I think it'd be a jolly good thing to have our sandwiches now while we wait for something to happen.'

'What do you expect will happen?' asked Alex as they took out their sandwiches.

'Well, that's the catch,' admitted David, taking a bite of his ham sandwich. 'I suppose the best we can hope for is a truck coming out for us to follow I know not where. But for now we must just let things run its course. Have a fig.'

The two boys sat beneath the tree for what felt at least an hour. In fact, when David finally glanced at his watch, he found to his shock that they had indeed been there for an hour! Alex was up for a short walk to the station and back, but David declined for now.

'You go and I'll stay,' he said. 'Then I'll go while you stay. There has to be at least one of us here at a time because if something does happen and we're not here to see it, then Belvedere can quite easily escape from us forever.'

It was most fortunate that, just as David was returning from his little stroll, the two boys heard the distinct sound of an engine starting up from somewhere in the yard. Quickly, they hurried up to the gates and positioned themselves either side, making sure that they couldn't be seen As they did so, a fully-loaded rubbish truck emerged from behind the largest mountain of rubbish and lurched across the yard towards the gates.

David's radio suddenly crackled loudly and, as he hastily took it out of his pocket, Polly's voice came through. 'Corporal Polly to Private David. What's your status? Over!'

David replied instantly. 'Private David to Corporal Polly. Success! A rubbish truck has just started, and we shall follow it wherever it goes. Keep up your own scouting for now. Over and out!'

He pocketed the radio and looked up at his brother. 'Come on, Alex! Let's see where Belvedere really plans to go! Keep close to me, and all will be well.'

By this time, the lorry had reached the gates and the men were climbing down from the cab to open them and allow their vehicle through. David and Alex, crouching behind a tiny control booth on their side of the fence, watched as the gates screamed open and the men hurriedly re-boarded their truck and set off again. It helped greatly that the truck never did more than ten miles an hour on the level – otherwise the boys might well have lost it! Even so, David made sure he and Alex stayed far enough behind to avoid the driver glancing in his mirror and seeing them, yet close enough not to lose the lorry if it abruptly swung into a side street.

Luckily, it was easier than the boys had thought. In fact, it seemed like no time at all when they saw the lorry turn left halfway up the main street and turn ponderously into the station car park!

'Oh, what a swiz!' cried Alex, stricken with disappointment. 'They're only making a delivery! All that drama for nothing!'

'I don't think so,' said David. 'If they are, why would they come to the station of all places? Look, they're stopping!'

The lorry had by now ground to a halt in the loading bay of the car park, and the two men soon got out and hurried round to the back. As the boys watched from across the road, the men swept the rubbish into a nearby dustbin and began pulling out crates and chests, which they loaded onto some empty luggage trolleys. They then dragged the trolleys across the yard to a siding in which stood a collection of empty, decrepit goods vans. The doors were flung wide and the crates hoisted inside. Then the men hurried back to their truck, presumably to fetch more of the crates.

'Well, hidden goods in a rubbish truck!' murmured Alex in awe. 'As I live and breathe! So we were right all along! The men put those crates in the back of the truck and cover them with rubbish so people think it's a real rubbish truck and don't suspect a thing.'

'There they go,' said David as the men continued to wheel the trolleys back and forth between the sidings and the car park. 'Hello, what's this? Another rubbish truck, unless I'm much mistaken!'

'There are more of them!' said Alex as they looked up the road and saw a second rubbish lorry, followed by a third, crawl down the road from the dump. 'Well, it looks like Belvedere's mission has well and truly begun. The question is, where are the others?'

'We'll find out soon,' said David, sinking onto a bench on the pavement directly opposite the station entrance. 'I suppose there's some sort of rota involved – first hearses, then milk floats and finally rubbish trucks. That way, there's no chance of Belvedere drawing attention to himself.'

Just as the rubbish trucks were leaving for the tip, David and Alex heard footsteps and looked up to see Justin and Charlie hurrying up the street towards them.

'Where did you spring from?' demanded Justin, coming to a halt in front of them. 'You were at the dump last time you made contact, so...'

'My dear Justin, we do have legs, you know,' said David. 'Anyway, the lorries came out of the dump and we simply followed them here. If we'd known where they were headed, we could have followed them with our eyes closed.'

'Keep your voices down, you two!' said Alex wildly. 'Someone could well be listening! If I know Belvedere, he might have posted guards all over Tidmouth!'

Soon Polly and Lily appeared and joined the boys. Suddenly, there come the sound of a diesel horn and a large, blue, somehow familiar diesel trundled over the station throat into the yard.

'That's Smellwyn!' said Polly. 'And I bet the reason he's here is sitting in those sidings.'

'Shall we go out and meet him?' asked Lily.

'Best not to,' said Justin. 'He might sneer at us again, or perhaps tell Belvedere what he thinks we're doing. I think we ought to wait until he's gone before telling the Fat Controller.'

'Is that completely wise?' asked Charlie uncertainly. 'I mean, the Fat Controller will want to help, but will he be allowed to?'

'Fair point,' murmured David. 'I mean, that toad has no right to be here any longer, and it's now utterly obvious what he's up to. But he is still a member of the aristocracy, so it will still look bad for business if he thinks we're waging war on him. So I suppose we ought to stay here and wait for Smellwyn to leave – if he does leave. I'd better just contact Father, tell him what's happening and say we might need him to help us.'

So, after David had sent a message on his radio to Seb telling him to come to Tidmouth at once to help sort things out, the six Francisco children settled down to wait until Selwyn left the yard.

Meanwhile, at the coaling stage on the other side of the boundary wall, Gordon and James were standing in the sunshine in two adjacent sidings. Henry wasn't there – the Fat Controller had sent him to the Mainland to retrieve the Express. Both engines had been instructed to wait until their trains were scheduled to leave. Not surprisingly, they were both in rather a bad mood, and wondering why Henry should take the Express and not them.

'Maybe the Fat Controller doesn't want engines who might stall on the hill or burst their safety valve,' said James.

'Or maybe he trusts Henry and knows that he won't bang the coaches and tear a hole in the brake pipe such that it needs repairing with a bootlace,' suggested Gordon.

'Do you suppose it was something to do with Georgina?' asked James, after a short pause. 'Do you think she told tales on us to the Fat Controller?'

'Well, I wouldn't put it past her,' said Gordon. 'But I believe the Fat Controller has had stern words with her. Perhaps that will teach her to lose her mind on us.'

'I still don't understand why she should always make such a fuss of Timmy,' said James contemptuously. 'I mean, he's just a _dog_! And to think she pretends to be a boy and perhaps tricked half of Sodor into thinking just that! Completely – and – utterly – _crazy_!'

Just then, they both heard a long, baying diesel horn and looked up to see a large, blue diesel roaring towards them. He stopped in front of the station and surveyed the engines with great disdain.

'Well, what have we here?' he said lazily. 'A pair of rusty old kettles, no doubt. For a moment, I thought I'd entered a museum! This whole island must be living in pre-war days! I mean, what's it going to be like for the tourists? They come for a summer trip, and instead enter a portal into days of old! Let's face it – you've got to move with the times!'

Gordon and James gazed at one another, unsure how to respond. 'I beg your pardon?' said Gordon delicately. 'I don't believe I caught your name.'

'Selwyn,' said the diesel haughtily. 'After my manager's close friend, Jacob Selwyn. But your lot has got to move with the times, like me and my owner.'

'What would you know about the times, fat face?' demanded James, who'd always had a distrust for diesels. 'The Fat Controller keeps us here because people happen to like us. It's all right for you, you go round saying that you're better than anyone because you're so modern, but we're the reason people come to see us. It's the same for any heritage railway.'

'But what good do they do for railways themselves?' said Selwyn with an unpleasant leer. 'They unleash smoke in huge volumes and are about as fast as the average tractor! You're all out of date and you know it! They should scrap every last one of you and bring in revolutionary, reliable, ready-for-anything engines such as myself!'

'How dare you!' spluttered Gordon, outraged. 'I'll have you know, you great heap of junk, that we steam engines are the key to the vault of nostalgia among railway enthusiasts! And for your information, we also have diesel locomotives on this island, but neither of them has to behave like you! I have to say, I'm surprised the railway manufacturers have created such an ugly type of engine as your lot, much less one who makes such a ghastly noise as you!'

Selwyn's face curdled. 'I'm not going to be dictated to like that, if you don't mind!' he hissed. 'At least we diesels have manners, and speed! Besides, appearances can be deceptive. But those horrid children made fun of me and called me Smellwyn the Hoover.'

'And a good name too!' said James viciously. 'Your fuel reeks, and your air filters made a dreadful noise as you came into the yard! What is it you want, anyway? Either tell us or just clear off – or better still, do both!'

'I am here to take a train for Dr Sebastian Francisco,' said Selwyn stiffly. 'It's most important that it is taken to southern England by tonight. Now, if you'll excuse me, my train awaits.' He rolled away, snickering and creating terrible noises from his air filter. As he moved towards the station, the Fat Controller came jogging across the yard from his office to where Gordon and James were standing.

'There you two are,' he said genially. 'I was wondering where you'd got to. Now, a heavy goods train has to be taken to Crovan's Gate and then Vicarstown. The sheds and stations are undergoing renovations, and I have decided that you, Gordon, shall take the train.'

'But Sir,' objected Gordon, 'why can't Henry or James do it? I hate trucks more than anything else! They'd do it much better than me! They're both mixed traffic engines.'

'Sorry, Gordon,' replied the Fat Controller. 'You're the strongest engine on the railway, and this train is very heavy. As you know, I've already sent Henry to bring the Express home. Duck's already prepared your trucks. As a matter of fact, I'm surprised you haven't asked for a change of air. All that Express work must be wearing you down!'

James grinned at Gordon, who wondered what he meant. The last time he'd refused to take a goods train, he'd ended up in a ditch. He debated whether to remind James that the last time _he'd_ pulled trucks, Douglas had been a banker and managed to mangle the spiteful brake van, but he decided not to. Better to just grin and bear it than risk giving the Fat Controller a reason to put him on _shunting work_! So off he set towards the station and, with a deep sigh, reversed onto his long, laden train.

'Now James,' resumed the Fat Controller, 'Gordon may require some help with the train, particularly if he's going to be climbing any hills.' He winked cryptically, and James suppressed a chuckle. 'So I've decided to let you go in front of Gordon, and that the two of you shall double-head the train. Incidentally, I've asked BoCo to take care of your stopping train,' he added as James opened his mouth to speak. 'So you won't have anything to worry about, except perhaps tar wagons. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do.'

He strode away, leaving James wondering if he should show Gordon up by going in front.

'Come on, James,' said his driver. 'What the Fat Controller says goes. Besides, if Gordon does run into trouble, he may need a helping buffer. We can have a good old laugh if that happens.'

'All right,' said James, making up his mind. 'I'll do it. At least it's not the other way round, and I'm nearest those wretched trucks! That would be dreadful, even more so if I dirty my paint!'

Thus it was that Gordon, standing at the platform, was waiting for the guard to blow his whistle and wave his customary flag when he saw James backing down towards him.

'What's all this?' demanded the big blue engine as James was coupled on. 'I can manage myself, thank you very much.'

'The Fat Controller said I was to help,' bragged James. 'He thinks you may run into trouble on the hill again. Anyway, I like being in front – it gives me a chance to see the view!'

'Well, enjoy it while you can,' said Gordon. 'But don't make me feel that I have to push you as well as pull the train.'

'Would you believe it?' commented Selwyn, who was waiting to set off with a train of about a dozen vans. 'Two steam kettles on one train! Can the world cope?'

At that moment, Thomas pulled in with Annie and Clarabel, having come straight up from the junction. He caught sight of Selwyn and his eyes narrowed.

'What are you doing here?' he demanded.

'Address him by name, little Thomas,' said Gordon helpfully. 'We now call him Smellwyn the Hoover. Rather fitting, I feel.'

Thomas smirked. 'In that case – what are you doing here, _Smellwyn_?'

Just then, Duck appeared, pushing a rake of old vans which he'd brought from the sidings nearby.

'Ah, the Roman chariots!' crowed Selwyn as the Great Western engine shunted them to an empty platform. 'These are what I'm doing here, my little Billington E2. I'm to deliver these goods to the Other Railway. The doctor insisted that I take them.'

'Where is he now?' asked a familiar voice. They all looked up to see Edward shunt a train of empty ballast trucks into an exchange siding, ready for Duck to take up the Arlesburgh line. 'Surely Lord Belvedere would be here himself, and Lady Belvedere too.'

'There's been a change of plan,' said Selwyn as Duck reversed onto the ballast trucks and set off down the line behind the station. 'He says that he wants all this to be taken to Southampton. He himself is taking his wife and confederates to New York to start a new life. He adds that he hopes never to set foot on Sodor again! What do you think of that?'

Just then, a sleek-looking car drew up in the car park behind the procession of other vehicles and a man and woman got out. Both were stout and good-natured-looking. Without a word, they hurried across the platform and got into Selwyn's cab.

'That will be my escort and driver,' said Selwyn proudly. 'Now we have to wait for the train to be loaded and then I shall be on my way.'

At this point, BoCo arrived to take James' stopping train. He spotted the diesel and smiled. 'Hello there. I'm BoCo, and you must be the new diesel, Selwyn.'

'Wrong – his name's Smellwyn,' said James loudly. 'And he's not at all nice! Listen to him now!'

Selwyn had launched into yet another egotistical speech. 'Ah, BoCo! Finally, another of my lot! I tell you, these engines' Controller should go out of his way to scrap them and buy new and better engines like us! We have everything a common passenger could ask – efficiency, speed, stamina and, above all, reliability! I mean to say, look at this lot! None of them has been in the least bit polite to me! What do you say, old bean?'

BoCo frowned severely at the diesel. 'Just because I'm a diesel, what makes you think I'd want steam engines wiped out? These engines are my friends, and always will be! I've a jolly good mind to ask the Fat Controller to turn me into a steam engine like my friends!'

'Well said, BoCo!' called Thomas and Edward.

Selwyn bared his teeth, but before he could retaliate, a van door at the rear of his train slammed and a voice yelled, 'Everything's loaded, Doctor! Ready when you are!'

With a smug chuckle and a loud grinding noise from his filter, Selwyn was thrust into motion. Then he rolled with would-be grace out of the station and out onto the Main Line.

'And I hope your wheels fall off, Smellwyn!' yelled James, just before the train passed out of sight.

'Good riddance to bad rubbish!' snorted Gordon. 'It's lucky that you're not like him, BoCo, otherwise we'd be up to here in things like "I'm so modern and reliable!"'

'Yes, well, I've always felt uncomfortable being surrounded by snobs in my old home,' confessed BoCo, backing onto James' coaches. 'I have to say, I was quite relieved when the Fat Controller agreed to take me up. Then I would be away from those fatheads that call themselves locomotives. But I'll promise you this, James – next time one of his lot comes here, I'll go to the ends of the Earth to show him up!'

Just then, the guard's whistle sounded, and, with a cheerful toot of farewell, BoCo left the station, taking the same track as Selwyn.


	27. Red Alert!

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

_**Red alert!**_

No sooner had BoCo rounded the bend in the line than there came a galloping of hooves and Fred the black stallion appeared, trotting into the station car park. Seb and Sam were seated one behind the other on his saddle. Seb tugged on the reins and Fred stopped. The couple dismounted, Seb tethered Fred to a railing in the car park, and he and Sam hurried into the station. Behind them came the six children, who had seen Selwyn arrive at the same time as Seb and Sam arrived, and had simply followed the latter two into the station.

'What's going on?' asked James, taken aback at seeing them. 'The Fat Controller isn't expecting you today, is he?'

'We just came to see if there's anything we can do,' said Seb. 'I do hate missing out on the action!'

'Well, there's nothing to do as far as we know,' said Thomas. 'Have any of the Five spoken to you since they set off for the beach?'

'No,' admitted Sam. 'But David and Julian both have walkie-talkies.'

David took out his walkie-talkie, just as the Fat Controller emerged from his office to see what all the din was about. He flicked the device on and handed it to his father, who at once spoke into it. 'Dr Francisco to Sergeant Julian. What is your status? Are you receiving me? Give us details. Over.' There was silence at the other end. Seb tried again. 'Calling Sergeant Julian. Come in please. Over.'

'Something's wrong,' said David, sounding worried. 'Julian promised faithfully that he'd answer his radio at once if it sounded. So what can have happened to them, do you suppose?'

'And there's something else!' said Gordon suddenly. 'Has anyone seen Lord and Lady Belvedere at all today? One might think we'd be seeing them all over the place!'

'Well, there were those two fat people we saw getting into Smellwyn's cab,' said Thomas. 'But they can't possibly have...' He trailed off, looking both thoughtful and shocked.

'Two fat people!' cried Gordon. 'But a call's only just come through from the quarry at Ffarquhar. Apparently, a convoy has just appeared in the yard, and one of them was Belvedere's Rolls-Royce! That's the way Belvedere's clearly going, I'm sure of it.'

'Maybe that was his decoy,' said James. 'I see it now – he sets a false trail off to America, but then he jollies off in Selwyn with the loot!'

'But what are we to do?' said Sam. 'We must catch Selwyn before he leaves the island!'

The Fat Controller mopped his brow. 'I've got a few phone calls to make,' he said, and disappeared into his office. The others heard him snatch up the phone and dial a number, then rap out a few instructions. 'Peter? It's Topham speaking! The children haven't replied to Seb's call for a few hours, so something's wrong! Kindly pass this message onto Harry and Fergus – ask your engines to be on constant lookout! I want every engine on this island on patrol!'

They didn't hear him make his second call, for just then, the signal arm dropped and James and Gordon, puffing hard, hauled their train out of the station and out onto the open line.

At last the Fat Controller came out of his office just as the two engines passed out of sight. 'I've alerted the police inspector. He's put out a red alert to all the other units so that they too are on lookout, and he said he'll have Bosworth Manor monitored just in case both the supposed decoy and diesel train are tricks in themselves, and Belvedere is in fact hiding out at home.'

'Why are Gordon and James taking a goods train?' asked Sam.

The Fat Controller smiled knowingly. 'George told me that both engines were being rather unpleasant to her over the last couple of days, so I thought that it might teach them both a lesson. Besides, taking trucks might give them a change of air. I've always thought that mixed traffic engines lead happier and healthier lives than express ones.'

'I only hope that those pesky trucks won't give them a hard time,' said Seb dubiously. 'Maybe they'll remember plans failed and won't try anything.'

'Is there anything _we_ can do?' asked Thomas hopefully.

'Well, Thomas, you can take the Franciscos down your branch line and your lot can keep watch on your own,' said the Fat Controller. 'Anyway, you have some passengers to take, so off you go. Edward, I suggest you return to your branch line as well, and remain on patrol with Bill and Ben.'

Seb and Sam hurried out to the car park, unharnessed Fred and remounted him. The six children hurried across the platform and scrambled into Annie and Clarabel. Once the guard had waved his flag, Seb shook the reins and they set off, trotting after Thomas with Edward following close behind. Soon they reached the junction and there parted Thomas to his branch line and Edward to his station.

Thomas reached the station by the river in good time. He had to drop off and pick up passengers, so he told Seb and Sam to go on to Ffarquhar ahead of him while the children stayed in Annie. By sticking to the main roads and urging the big, powerful Fred into a canter, the two reached the branch line sheds in little under half an hour. Percy and Toby were already there, standing in their berths in the shed, looking confused and vexed.

'What's going on?' called Percy as Fred came trotting up.

Seb slid off the huge horse's back and helped his wife down. 'Well, Percy, we haven't heard from Julian and his family since they left to investigate the beach and the Manor this morning, and so we've assumed something must be up. So the Fat Controller and the police Inspector have each put out a red alert to all other lines and police units. We now plan to watch Belvedere's every move!'

'I don't suppose there's anything we can do, is there?' said Toby ruefully.

Before anyone could answer, there came a whistle and Thomas arrived with Annie and Clarabel. He stopped at the platform and waited till the coaches were empty. The Francisco children disembarked and hurried across to the sheds. Then Thomas was uncoupled and came over to join the others, just as the station master came jogging up, looking just as confused as Toby and Percy.

'I've just got a call from the quarry manager,' he said. 'He says that a train of stone trucks which are needed for the harbour wall are to be delivered in good time. It's quite a heavy load, since the workers have struck lucky, so you might need more than one engine to take the trucks!'

'We'd better all get up there now,' said Seb in firm tones. 'We can leave Fred with Mr Crowe at his farm, and I think all three of you engines must come!'

'But what about our trains?' asked Thomas. 'And Toby has Henrietta to take back down the line.'

'Daisy can take Henrietta instead of Toby,' said Sam. 'And when Henry returns with the Express, she can go to the station to fetch your special coach, Thomas.'

'Where is Daisy?' asked Seb, looking round the yard.

'Resting at Elsbridge last time I looked,' said Thomas. 'But I'm sure I can tell her what's planned.'

'No worries, I'll just telephone the station and tell them,' said the station master. 'In fact, I'd better go and tell them at once.'

As he walked away, Seb, Sam and the engines suddenly became aware of a strange noise drifting on the air currents towards them. Was it? Yes, it was! Faint at first, but growing louder all the time – the unmistakable sound of barking! Then, as they looked towards the line to the quarry, something big and brown with four legs and a comically long tail came charging down the track into the yard!

'TIMMY!' cried all three engines at once.

'Whatever are you doing here, old boy?' said David, bending to stroke the dog. 'How did you know where to find us? Clever dog!'

But Tim wouldn't be fondled. Much as he liked the Franciscos and the branch line engines, he had a job to do! Now he bounded up the quarry line a few yards, then turned and ran back again.

'Do you know what?' said Percy. 'I think Timmy's trying to tell us something!'

Timmy must have heard and understood what Percy said, because he went on with his quick walking up and down, desperate to get his message across. He knew he must have very little time to do so, or he might never see George, his beloved mistress, again!

'I think he wants us to follow him!' cried Thomas, and Timmy could have whimpered with relief! 'Seb, Sam, you can follow behind on Fred – he may come in useful! All right, Timmy! Lead on!'

The words had hardly left him when they heard the distinct sound of someone running over the ballast. It was coming from the quarry line, and by the sound of it, the person in question was sprinting along the track. Then a small, slender figure in combat fatigues tore into sight and stopped in front of the sheds, badly out of puff!

'JO!' exclaimed Toby. 'First a dog, and now a girl! Whatever next!'

'What on earth is the matter?' said David, feeling that Jo, like Tim, had a purpose. He laid a hand on the gypsy girl's shoulder to reassure her. 'Come on now, Jo. Tell us what's going on!'

'Dick ... and the others ... captured!' panted Jo, leaning against Percy's buffer for support. 'I ... escaped ... got Tim ... out too ... we came ... straight here!'

'Well, say no more,' said Alex. 'I suggest you and Tim hop aboard Toby, and we'll set off for the quarry directly.'

Jo and Tim hurriedly boarded the tram engine, while Seb and Sam once again hoisted themselves into the saddle on Fred's back. David, Polly and Justin clambered into Thomas' cab, while Alex, Lily and Charlie leapt into Percy's. Then Thomas, Percy, Toby and Fred set off in a small procession.

Along the way, Toby had to stop at a farm to drop off Fred. The poor horse looked worn out, and they knew that it would be quicker to ride in Toby, so they decided to leave him in the care of Mr Crowe. Fortunately, all three of them were known to all the farmers on the Ffarquhar branch, so Mr Crowe readily agreed to look after Fred. Once Fred was led into a barn close to the railway line, Seb and Sam climbed into Toby's cab and they set off again. They were nearing the quarry, but none of them quite knew what surprises it might hold!


	28. A Clever And Daring Rescue

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

_**A clever and daring rescue**_

In very little time, the procession arrived at the quarry, just in time to see a convoy moving off. The engines were so astonished by the first vehicle that they could only stare.

'Why, that's _Belvedere's Rolls-Royce_!' cried Thomas. 'So _that_ was his plan all along! He wanted us to believe that he'd gone off in Smellwyn, so he set that diesel up with those vans, but he's actually planning to leave from here!'

'We've _got_ to stop him before he gets away!' said Percy. 'But how can we?'

Thomas looked frantically round the yard while the convoy moved out onto the road leading out of the quarry. Perhaps it helped that it was travelling at no more than ten miles an hour, because otherwise, Thomas might not have noticed the long train of stone trucks waiting for them in the nearest siding. But he did notice them, and just like that, an idea came to him!

Quickly, he explained it to the others in a low voice. 'Listen to me, you two! I've got an idea! We're to take the trucks to the harbour, right? And the convoy is going along the road alongside the track, right? That road crosses at the place where I got ticked off by a policeman! Well, what if we take the trucks down the line, and put them on the level crossing to stop the convoy leaving? Then Seb and Sam can phone the police and leave it to them!'

'That's a great idea!' said Percy eagerly. 'We can both take the trucks down to the crossing straightaway. But who'll call the police?'

'Leave that to us!' said Seb determinedly. 'We can ask the quarry manager if we can borrow his phone, and we'll telephone the police station in Elsbridge and tell them to come to the crossing at once! You two go on ahead – and do be quick! That cavalcade will be gone if you don't hurry! The three of us will catch up with you as soon as we've alerted the police!'

Without hesitation, Thomas and Percy's drivers marshalled their engines onto the train, Thomas at the front and Percy at the back. As soon as the Francisco children had scrambled into the brake van, they set off at a leisurely stroll, all the while making sure that they exceeded ten miles an hour, but stayed at the same speed all the way to the crossing.

Almost as soon as they'd left the quarry, they caught up with the convoy and slowly, but surely, began to overtake it. Thomas glanced into the cabs of the vehicles – consisting of the Rolls-Royce, a small green tank and two large white vans – and managed to catch glimpses of the drivers. None of them were people he'd seen before, but he guessed they were all working for Belvedere.

When the train reached the Rolls, he expected to see Lord and Lady Belvedere sprawled on the back seat, or perhaps huddled in the front with His Lordship hunched over the wheel. Instead he saw one man whom he vaguely recognised from Francisco House huddled in the driver's seat, and in the back, two fat people who he didn't recognise at all.

Before he could gather any further details, the road looped away from the railway to be replaced by the stream, which road and rail traversed about a quarter of a mile apart. Thomas was certain they'd overtaken the convoy, and his thoughts were proved correct when he reached the other side and saw no sign of it at all. Now all he had to do was keep going until they reached the level crossing, and then everything would be all right!

They rounded a bend and there was the crossing! There were no other vehicles in sight, and nothing in the way! Carefully, Thomas guided the train onto the road. Then he groaned dramatically and stopped, signalling to Percy to do the same.

'Are you all right, Thomas?' called Percy. 'I mean, you're not feeling ill or anything, are you?'

'No,' said Thomas absently. 'I was just putting it on in case someone was watching. Now all we have to do is wait until the convoy arrives, and then we wait for the others with the police. By the way, where are Tim and Jo?'

'Last time I saw Tim, Toby's driver was hoisting him into the cab,' said his driver. 'From the look on the poor man's face, Tim's heavier than he looks! As for Jo, I fancy she's still in Toby's cab. I'm sure they'll both be in good hands until Toby catches us up.'

'Talk of a diesel and hear his horn,' said Thomas as the ding of a familiar bell came floating to their ears. 'Here he comes now!' As their crews turned to watch Toby slow to a halt behind Percy, they also caught sight of Belvedere's car and knew the convoy had arrived as well. As they'd expected, the four vehicles stopped in their side of the crossing about a yard or two from the tracks.

The driver of the Rolls-Royce leaned his head out of the window and called to Thomas' driver. 'What's all this? We have a boat to catch! What's wrong with your engine?'

'He's run out of water,' said Thomas' driver, saying the first thing that came into his mind. 'We forgot to top up at the quarry. What a place to do it, too!'

The driver of the Rolls-Royce, muttering under his breath, withdrew into the car, rolling the window up behind him. Thomas watched as he reached out and flicked a switch. He wondered what it was that the man had done. Perhaps it was a way of telling the other drivers what was happening without either leaving the car or raising his voice. Or it could be that he'd simply turned on the radio or the air conditioning. And why was Thomas so sure that he'd seen the man somewhere before?

But what the man was doing was not to be known because, before any of the three engines had time to gather their thoughts, they heard the sound of powerful engines and the wail of sirens. Next moment, three or four police cars had appeared, racing round the bend in the road and pulling up next to the level crossing. Barely had they stopped than their occupants poured out and charged across the track to the convoy, totally surrounding all four vehicles.

'All right, your lordship!' trumpeted the Inspector. 'Come out with your hands up! The same goes for all your vile friends!'

Slowly, the drivers and front-seat passengers of the car, tank and vans got out, hands raised, and formed themselves into a line, meek as lambs. They knew that the game was up, and that none of them had the strength or desire to fight their way out. The hideous form of Gerald Reaper was still in his wheelchair, pushed into the line by Mr Taylor. Thomas, Percy and Toby had been told what had happened last night, including the apparition in the yard, and no longer had it in them to be surprised to see Mr Reaper in the flesh, alive but far from well.

The driver of the Rolls-Royce turned a livid, watery eye on Thomas. 'You set us up!' he snarled. 'You brought them here! You ruined everything!'

'It had to be done,' said Thomas coldly. 'Besides, you all deserve it, for working for that toad!'

'How dare you talk about His Lordship like that!' hissed the man. 'I'll...'

'Shut it, Noah!' barked the Inspector. 'Now get into that car, or you'll be doing so without hands!'

The name was what made the connection click.

'Noah!' cried Thomas in horror and disgust. 'Why, you treacherous, crafty old cad! I hope you get sent to Gibraltar and never be heard of again!'

But then, to everyone's amazement, Seb leapt from Toby's cab, stormed up to Noah and dealt him a flying punch to the jaw! Noah reeled back, howling. Next moment, he was seized by two policemen, who handcuffed him and hurled him into the rear of one of their cars.

'That's for selling me to Belvedere!' roared Seb as the policemen shunted the other convicts into the police cars and locked them in. One of the cars was specially adapted for the disabled, which made sure that Mr Reaper was taken care of, even though it took two officers to lift him in his wheelchair into the back.

'All right, Belvedere!' said the Inspector, marching to the back door of the Rolls-Royce and flinging it open. 'You're next! And don't try and talk your way out of it! We know you're in there, so...' He broke off, staring into the back of the car. Then he gave a loud exclamation.

'I say! Seb, Sam, come and look!'

Seb and Sam hurried up, and stared into the back of the car. Close to, the bodies weren't bodies at all, but a collection of bolsters, cushions and clothes, strategically arranged to look like two stout human beings! Sam reached out and nudged one – at once, it collapsed in a heap on the floor.

'They're dummies!' said Sam loudly. 'So that's what all this is about! Belvedere is really on Selwyn, and he set this all up to throw us off his tail! By the time we'd found out that it was a trick, he planned to be miles away and out of reach! The fat rat!'

'But what can we do?' cried Thomas. 'We've got to get after him at once!'

'I thought of that,' said Seb, straightening up as the six children leapt out of the brake van and came hurrying up. 'While I was in the quarry manager's office, I also put a call through to Dryaw. Harold should be here any time now. First we have to find the children – but where _can_ they be?'

'What's that noise?' said Toby suddenly. 'Listen! Can't you hear it?'

Everyone stopped in their tracks and listened intently. There seemed to be a good deal of noise, but it was muffled, as if hemmed in by thick walls. It sounded very much like several people hammering on a sheet of metal and shouting 'Help!' Timmy heard it too and, in response, he leapt from Toby's cab and started scratching furiously at the back door of the first white van in the convoy.

'The noises are coming from that van!' cried Percy. 'Tim must have found them out!'

Seb and Sam hurried round to the rear of the van, only to find the doors sealed with a big padlock. Sam reached up to her blonde plait and drew out a hairpin, which she handed to her husband. Seb took it and started to pick the lock. After about half a minute, the lock sprang open, and Seb flung open the doors. Then he halted, paralysed with amazement, mouth and eyes wide open.

'What is it?' called Thomas.

'My word!' exclaimed Seb at last. 'Four children, tied up in the back of this van! Am I dreaming?'

The four children in the van gazed out at Seb and Sam, astonished and relieved to see them!

When Jo and Tim had escaped from the van and bolted across the quarry to the exit, all the children had sat back, filled with worry over the pair of them, when Mr Williams crashed the back doors shut. There was the sharp snap of a padlock, and the children were true prisoners!

George was wracked with worry for Timmy. Where could he have gone? Why did he have to run away on them like that?

'Oh, Timmy!' she shouted, her voice bouncing off the metal walls. 'Tim, can't you see how much we need you? Timmy! _Timmy!_'

'Settle down, George!' said Julian loudly. 'Jo said it herself – she and Tim have just gone for help. I bet they succeed. They're both so clever they might even go so far as to bring the police here!'

There was nothing more the children could do, so they sat in silence and listened to the voices outside. From the sound of it, Mr Williams, Mr Powell and Mr Taylor were arguing with the quarry manager over a special arrangement at the harbour, and the latter was sticking to his side of the debate. At length, the argument was stopped by the faint squeak of Mr Reaper's wheelchair as he was wheeled forward and told the yard that everything had been arranged. Then footsteps could be heard approaching the vehicles.

Now the children could only talk in whispers since Mr Williams got into the driver's cab.

'Timmy and Jo should be back by now, if they have fetched help,' said Julian. 'My guess is that, if we listen, we might hear Timmy bark.'

The others obediently listened. They didn't hear the bark of a dog, but instead the chuff of a train.

'I thought that Tim would be back in minutes with the police or even Seb and Sam,' said George miserably. 'But it certainly doesn't look it! Oh, why must it be a train instead of a dog we can hear?'

'Ought we to yell for help?' asked Dick. 'It could be one of the branch line engines, and if we shout loud enough, they might hear us.'

'We can't,' said Julian. 'Mr Williams will most certainly hear us, and then he'll stop the van and stop us. I think it's best if we stay here and wait for something to happen.'

So the four of them sat back and lapsed into silence as the van joined the convoy and trundled down the road away from the quarry. Once, they all heard a train – with two engines, from the sound of them – but it soon passed them, which was hardly surprising. The van, like the rest of the procession, was travelling at the sort of speed better suited to a car park.

The convoy proceeded until they slowed down and stopped. Of course, they had reached Thomas' road block, but the children didn't know this. They only knew what was happening when the police arrived and the drivers of the cars, including Mr Reaper and the traitor Noah, were forced out. They did hear Noah berating Thomas for selling them out, and Seb interrupting this by punching his butler!

'Good grief!' said Julian as they listened to Seb's roars of fury as Noah was dragged away. 'I thought David said that he kept control of his temper!'

'Shall we yell for help _now_?' asked Dick, who was getting understandably tired of being a prisoner.

'We can't,' said Anne. 'Belvedere's men might hear us.'

'No they won't,' said George as they heard the bang of a car door. 'I think the police now have them under lock and key.'

'Then I think we should yell,' said Julian. 'By the sound of it, there are lots of people, including the police, right outside! They're bound to hear us! Come on, all of you, yell for help!'

And that's precisely what they did! And of course, that prompted Toby to hear them, Timmy to sniff them out, and finally Seb and Sam to unlock and open the van.

Almost as soon as the doors were opened, Tim leapt past Seb and Sam into the back, trotted happily up to his beloved mistress and licked her wherever he could find an uncovered bit of skin. As Seb and Sam watched, tears of happiness appeared in George's eyes and coursed down her cheeks.

'Don't cry, George!' cried Seb, leaping into the van and taking out his sharp penknife. 'It's all right now! We've come to rescue you!'

'But I'm just so thrilled to see you both!' cried George as Sam climbed into the back and took out a knife of her own. 'I thought that all was lost, and that I might never see Tim again!'

'Nothing of the sort!' said Sam as she and Seb set to work cutting through the children's bonds. 'He and Jo found us, and brought us to the quarry.'

'But I see we mustn't keep you,' said Seb, sawing away at Julian's ropes. 'Thomas can explain everything when he sees you're all alive and kicking.'

'Is Thomas out there?' cried Dick, rubbing his sore wrists and ankles. 'Golly! How I would like to thank him for saving us!'

A moment later, all four children were free, and they, Seb and Sam were making a great fuss of Timmy and Jo, who had so intrepidly gone for help and brought it back in fine style! George in particular refused to let go of her dog, for she had been worried sick about him all the way down the road, and was ecstatic that he hadn't abandoned them! Dick and Julian both fell on Jo with bear hugs and hearty slapping on the back. Tim, assuming an air of modest joy, licked everyone at least twice, whilst Jo hugged all four of the children.

At last, they climbed out of the van in a pack and hurried round to the front of the train. Thomas gazed at the four children, his face a mixture of bafflement and relief.

'George! Julian! Dick! Anne! Thank heavens you're all safe! But what on earth were you doing in the back of a van? And why are you dressed like army soldiers?'

'They were the only suitable clothes we could find whilst Sam washed our clothes,' explained Julian. 'As for why we were in that van, we found Belvedere's secret lair down a tunnel in the cliff by that beach. He found us out, and ordered us to be put in that van. But what made you decide to put trucks on the crossing?'

'Surely you have worked that one out, my boy!' said Thomas. 'Tim came pelting along to find us, and led us to the quarry. We recognised the Rolls-Royce and put the tracks on the crossing to stop him. But we didn't know you were in that van until Toby heard you yelling.'

The children looked up to see Percy and Toby's anxious faces gazing back at them from behind the line of stone trucks.

'Are you children all right?' called Percy. 'It's all right now. You're safe with us.'

'Thank you all,' said Anne. 'I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for you!'

'I suggest you all have a wash as soon as all this is over,' said Toby. 'You're all filthy!'

Toby's words reminded Julian of what was happening. 'Belvedere!' he cried. 'Where is he? Are we already too late?'

Right on cue, there came the hammer of helicopter blades and everyone looked up to see the underbelly of a big white helicopter as it descended onto a patch of grass on the lineside.

'Harold the Helicopter at your service,' said the helicopter, smiling at the children as his blades slowed. 'Very nice to meet you, old chaps. I see you're ready to catch this atrocious Belvedere – you're certainly dressed for it!'

'You bet!' said Julian. 'We've got to stop the Belvederes leaving Sodor in Selwyn. He's a blue Class 50 diesel, and most likely heading a goods train. Do you think you can find him?'

'The engine I cannot find is either invisible or too tiny to be seen!' crowed Harold. 'Come one, come all, into my cabin!'

'Thank you very much, Harold,' said George. 'But, are dogs allowed? I just can't be parted from Tim, especially after he helped save us!'

'Dogs most certainly _are_ allowed, George, my boy!' chuckled Harold. 'He could prove simply wizard if Belvedere tries to put up a fight. He looks just the type that will take someone down. Come on, quickly! There's no time to waste!'

Julian and Dick turned back to the branch line engines and the police.

'Thank you for saving us, Thomas,' said Dick. 'And thank you, Percy and Toby, for helping us all as well. You're the best engine friends we could ever have!'

The Inspector laid a hand on Julian's shoulder. 'Take care of yourself, your friends and family, my lad,' he said solemnly. 'Belvedere will not come quietly, I'm sure of that. Just be careful.'

'Good luck, everyone!' called Thomas, Percy and Toby in unison as Seb, Sam, Tim and the eleven children scrambled into Harold's cabin. The door swung shut and, as Harold's pilot pulled on the joystick, the big craft rose majestically and banked away, heading for the Main Line. The children just had time to wave at Thomas, Percy and Toby through the back window before a craggy hill hid them from view, and they had to concentrate on the business in hand.

By travelling south for a few miles, Harold was quickly over the Main Line and began to follow its course across the width of Sodor. Soon, they flew over Gordon's Hill, and peering down, the children could see Gordon and James double-heading a long goods train and making slow but steady progress up the steep incline.

'I wonder why James and Gordon are both pulling trucks,' said Jo. 'I was told that they both hate them with a passion!'

'They do,' said David. 'But maybe the Fat Controller has decided to give them a taste of their own cleaning fluid and put them together with the little horrors.'

'It will certainly make them a lot healthier,' said Julian. 'It must be an awful strain to just pull coaches, even if it is a great honour. I'm sure I'd feel that way if I were one of them.'


	29. A Great Deal Of Excitement

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

_**A great deal of excitement**_

About two hundred feet below Harold, Gordon and James were making good progress. Moments previously, they had clattered through Edward's station, earning themselves two awestruck gazes from Bill and Ben, who were arranging a train of empty trucks ready to be taken to the port. After that, they had approached the hill where Gordon had memorably got stuck, determined to give it all their worth. That was when things began to decline.

Up until then, the trucks had allowed the engines' guard to drop, and to assume that they were in control. However, they were aware that neither Gordon nor James was at all experienced when it came to trucks. These feelings had deepened when the engines had bumped them from time to time, either because of misbehaviour, a red signal or just to keep them in order. But now they all realised that the time had come to pay the two engines back!

'I don't know what you're boiler-aching about, little James!' said Gordon as they cleared Edward's station and made for the hill. 'This is a doddle – an absolute doddle! Such a shame I'm an Express engine! I sometimes wonder if they only pick on engines who are new to the game.'

'I wasn't "new to the game" when I was involved in that tar incident,' James reminded him. 'In any case, this is the line's weak spot. We have to slow down here to let the drivers pin down our brakes, and that's when the trucks usually attack.'

'Have no fear,' said Gordon confidently. 'The trucks might want to settle scores with engines like you, but they wouldn't dare try it on if I'm at the front of the train as well!'

That was when the front truck, who had heard every word of what the two engines had said, had hissed 'Hold back!' and the other trucks had passed the word down the train. As a result, both Gordon and James had their work cut out trying to stop themselves rolling to a total stop!

'Come ON! Come ON! Come ON! Come ON!' commanded James.

'Get MOVING you! Get MOVING you!' roared Gordon.

'Come ON! Come ON! Get MOVING you! Come ON! Come ON! Get MOVING you!' they puffed together. Between them, the two engines made a terrific noise that could be heard from Edward's station! All in all, the sight of Harold above their boilers and their general frustration lent them extra strength. Before they knew it, they had reached the brow of the hill, and Gordon and James' drivers applied the brakes. That was the signal the trucks had been waiting for!

'Go on! Go on!' they yelled, surging against Gordon's tender. The lurch sent both crews staggering and, by the time they regained their balance, Gordon and James were hurtling down the hill and along the Main Line with ever increasing speed, while the trucks yelled and swayed behind them!

The trucks knew their moment was here – they might not have this chance again! 'Faster! Faster!' they brayed as they shot through Maron Station and on towards Cronk and Killdane.

'HELP!' bellowed Gordon and James as the train thundered across the viaduct.

To his horror, James could see a goods train on the track straight ahead! His and Gordon's crews saw it too. Both drivers slammed on the brakes with all their might. The brakes screamed, but the train was still going much too fast! James' crew leapt from the cab onto the verge, while Gordon's simply crouched in the cab. James and Gordon shut their eyes and waited for the crash!

Now I rather think that this is going to be a most interesting turn-up. Because, as it turns out, the goods train in front is headed by none other than that awful Class 50 diesel, Selwyn – or Smellwyn, if you want to be fussy! And yes, he does have Lord and Lady Belvedere in his cab.

Selwyn had set off shortly after Henry had left to fetch the Express from the Other Railway. The Belvederes were seated in the swivel chairs in his cab, and His Lordship was driving. They felt confident that, by the time the children had escaped and told the police all they knew, they themselves would be miles away, starting a new life.

As you might expect, quite the opposite actually happened! They had made fine progress through Edward's station, then up and over Gordon's Hill. But it was as they crossed the viaduct that Selwyn began to feel very strange indeed.

'My generator feels funny!' he wheezed at last. 'I can't breathe properly, and I'm slowing down!'

Sure enough, he was definitely slowing down, until finally, a few miles from Killdane, a loud crack cut the air like a gunshot! Selwyn coughed, spluttered, and stopped altogether! The rubbish in his tank had eaten its way into the workings in his engine, which had seized up until finally they broke apart.

'Come on, you!' snarled Belvedere, pummelling the starter button. 'This is no time for lazing around!' At last, he gave up trying to get Selwyn to move, and instead got down and marched over to the fuel tank. He unfastened the cap, and stared into the tank in disbelief and fury!

Lady Belvedere peered out of the cab. 'Have we broken down, Reggie?' she asked stupidly.

Her husband rounded on her. 'This wretched diesel's tank is full of rubbish!' he roared. 'Those urchins have tricked us! Wait till I get them!'

As Belvedere stormed back to the cab, there came the blare of a horn and BoCo with his stopping train overtook Selwyn. He had been redirected to the up line shortly before he had reached Maron.

'An odd place to have a rest, is it not?' asked BoCo pleasantly as he passed the defused, hostile Selwyn. 'A nice day for it, though, I must say!' He was then turned back onto the down line via a crossover, where he and his train rolled around the next bend and disappeared from sight.

Meanwhile, Belvedere had gone quite mad! He knew that he was finished, but he was starting to let his anger get the better of him! And he was taking it out on Selwyn even now! He had already wrenched out the telephone from its cradle on the dashboard, breaking the wire, and hurled it at the window. After that, he yanked levers and knobs from their sockets, throwing each one in turn at the walls. Next, he seized the fire extinguisher, breaking its brackets, and flung it across the cab. It hit the window, smashing through it and crashing onto the grass verge.

Suddenly, there came the sound of helicopter blades. Through the broken window, Belvedere saw a white helicopter land on the grass atop of the embankment. As he watched, its doors opened and the eleven children, Tim, Seb and Sam, leapt out and began to run across the field towards the railway.

The sight of them doubled Belvedere's fury to the brink of insanity! Without hesitation, he seized the rifle that he'd brought from Bosworth Manor, from underneath his seat. Clutching it with both hands and cramming a few bullets from his belt into the magazine, he stormed across the cab to the broken window, while Her Ladyship watched his progress in bewilderment and fear.

When Harold had landed, Tim had seen Belvedere inside the diesel throwing his lunatic tantrum. The sight of him sent a spasm of hatred through all of them, but Seb, Tim and George especially. As soon as Harold's pilot opened the door, Tim leapt out and dashed across the field.

'Timmy! TIMMY!' yelled George, tumbling out after him. The other followed her lead, all of them concentrated on Timmy and Selwyn. None of them, not even Selwyn and his occupants, noticed the goods train roaring down the line towards the back of Selwyn's train, or the frantic whistles and brake-screaming from the two engines pulling it...

'Timmy!' shouted George again. 'Come back! Timmy, you're in danger! _Timmy, come back!_'

Timmy had almost reached the fence at the top of the embankment. It was then that Belvedere emerged, the rifle in his hands. He propped it on the empty window frame and took aim at the approaching dog. He was less than a hundred yards away, and His Lordship had a clear shot! There was no way he was going to miss!

'NO!' screamed George, flinging herself forwards in a desperate attempt to save Tim. Julian, Dick, Jo and Anne closed their eyes and turned away, not bearing to see any more.

**CRASH!** The terrible noise at the end of the train sent the whole thing jolting violently forwards. Belvedere lost his balance and fell backwards with a yell of shock and wrath. His gun fell to the floor with a clang and discharged. The bullet ricocheted off the back of the cab and exited through one of Selwyn's front windows, leaving a small, round hole in its wake.

George saw this, and also that Tim had not been shot! That was all that mattered to her right now!

'Oh, Timmy, you're safe!' she cried, flinging her arms round Tim. 'I thought you were a goner, I really did! Don't worry, Tim! I won't let that rogue have another crack at you – I _won't_!'

Meanwhile, everyone was hurrying towards the back of the train to see what had happened. It wasn't at all hard to see. James was embedded in the rearmost van of the train, which was half crushed. The van's contents was spilling out over the track – fur coats, chests of cutlery and a few unmarked crates that had been nailed shut.

Poor James was in a bad way. His front was badly bent, his funnel was dented and he looked extremely woebegone. Gordon was shaken but unhurt, and already James' crew was hurrying down the line towards them.

'What happened here?' asked Seb as the two men reached them.

'The trucks pushed us,' replied Gordon's driver, straightening up. 'I think we ought to get the train up to Crovan's Gate as soon as possible. Gordon's all right, so it should be easy enough to uncouple him and then take the train back to a crossover.'

'What about me?' groaned James miserably as Seb hurriedly uncoupled him from Gordon. 'I suppose me and Smellwyn will have to stay here and wait for help.'

'I'm afraid so, old fellow,' said his driver sympathetically. 'I'll just head back to the signal box and tell the signalman what's planned.'

Selwyn and his trucks were left where they were – Selwyn clearly wasn't going anywhere! The stolen goods were left inside the trucks and James made himself the sentry for when the police arrived. Harold watched all this from his vantage point on top of the slope.

It was easy enough for Seb to guide Gordon away from the scene of the disaster. From there, he really did have the trucks under control. The trucks hadn't expected to have an accident like this, and that silenced them for the rest of the journey!

'Poor old James!' chuckled Gordon as he passed the crash site. 'Never mind, at least you'll have a good enough reason to be pulling coaches for the next few weeks! "Sorry, Sir – the trucks pushed me and James into Belvedere's getaway train, and James came off worse!" Ho, ho, ho! What a joke!'

By now, the children had hurried up to the front of the train to see if there was anything they could do to stop Belvedere escaping. James' driver had just returned from the signal box, saying that he had persuaded the signalman to phone the police as well as the breakdown gang, and direct both parties to the scene of the accident.

Julian hurried up to the cab and cautiously opened the door. He gave a loud exclamation.

'I say! They're gone! Lord and Lady Belvedere have vanished! Where _can_ they have gone?'

The others hurried up and peered in astonishment and despair into the empty cab. Both Belvederes were most certainly not there! Only an abandoned gun belt and rifle lying forlornly on the floor remained to tell the tale.

Dick suddenly looked round the group. 'I say, where are Seb and Sam?'

The others looked round, and saw that neither Seb nor Sam was anywhere in sight. Then George noticed something. Atop the embankment about half a mile from where Harold had landed stood the stone fortress that was Bosworth Manor. The children must have missed it in their desperation to get outside and stop Timmy before Belvedere put a bullet in him!

'I think I know where Mother, Father and the Belvederes have gone,' said David, and he started up the grassy slope. 'Come on, chaps! We've got some more criminals to catch!'


	30. Settling The Score

CHAPTER THIRTY

_**Settling the score**_

As things turned out, David's hunch was right. All four grown-ups were indeed at Bosworth Manor!

Shortly after sorting out Gordon and James' dilemma, Seb and Sam had hurried back up the train to the offset diesel, with plans to drag the Belvederes out themselves before the police arrived. But like the children a few minutes later, they found the cab empty, and they both concluded rightly that the Belvederes had made a run for it while they themselves were occupied with the accident.

'They think they can get away as easy as this!' growled Seb, pounding his fist into his palm with anger. 'But I bet they don't know who they're dealing with here! Come on, dear. It's time we had our revenge once and for all!'

'What are we going to do?' asked Sam. 'Oh, I do hope you're not going to try anything foolish!'

'Of course not, honey,' said Seb reassuringly, reaching out and taking her hand. 'We can get our own back in whatever way we find best. Come on – let's not forget they're dangerous criminals who have yet to be caught!'

Hand in hand, the two of them scrambled up the embankment and sprinted across the grass towards the yew hedge at the back of Bosworth Manor. They climbed deftly through the branches and stopped, catching their breath in the centre of the lawn. They could see the Belvederes moving about behind the downstairs windows, but they couldn't quite make out what exactly they were doing.

Seb suddenly made a beeline for the kitchen window, which was ajar.

'What are you doing?' asked Sam, carefully keeping her voice low.

'Don't worry, dear!' replied Seb, pausing with one foot over the windowsill. 'I have a plan to take down Lord Belvedere! You can go and take down Her Ladyship! We can take them on together – it's two against two, after all!'

'You can count on me,' said his wife, setting her face in a grim smile. So saying, she hurried round to the window of the drawing room on the other side of the house and swung herself inside.

It was around that time that the children, plus Timmy, arrived at Bosworth Manor the back way. They stopped, peering nervously through the hedge at that immense rock-pile of a house.

'If Belvedere finds us on his land again, he'll skin us alive!' said Dick. 'But we can't let him get away! We have to finish this today, before it's too late!'

'That toad tried to kill Tim!' cried George, beside herself with impatience. 'We can't just sit back and let him escape!'

'Woof!' said Timmy, sounding almost as fierce as his beloved mistress!

'We won't,' assured Polly. 'In fact, we can keep watch over the front and back of the house and wait for the Belvederes to come out.'

'Good idea, Polly,' said Julian. 'We Five can keep watch at the back.'

'We'll go round to the front,' said David. 'If I know my lords and ladies, they're most likely to leave that way. But we can't afford to take any risks! Come on, before we lose them for good!'

So, quick as lightning, the children clawed their way through the big hedge and took up their positions either side of the main gates.

Inside the house, Belvedere looked up, growled to himself and carried on with his work. The entire contents of the house's loft and cellar were piled in sacks in the entrance hall. There wasn't a great deal of goods – just some bottles of vintage wine and a few precious family heirlooms. But Belvedere was taking no chances! The last thing he could afford to do was leave anything behind that could be traced back to him.

He had already instructed his wife to keep up a position in the drawing room, and he himself was checking that he had remembered everything. Everything was there, so all that was left was to grab the loot and make a run for it! Suddenly, he straightened up, listening hard. A sort of sound had arrested his attention – a hissing and a faint whistle. It seemed to be coming from the kitchen!

Carefully, he tied knots in the sacks and crept to the kitchen door, which was closed, but not locked. Slowly, he turned the handle and pushed the door open. The sight that met his gaze was enough to drive him livid! For there was his sworn enemy, Dr Sebastian Francisco, standing bold as brass at the kitchen sink, his back to the door, filling the teapot from the kettle!

Seb set the kettle down, picked up the teapot between both hands and ponderously swilled the tea leaves round in the hot water. He glanced up at the window and, by reading the reflection on the glass, became aware of Belvedere's presence. He turned, slowly and deliberately, to face the man and walked towards him. Belvedere was so overcome with rage that it was as much as he could do to stop himself leaping on Seb! If he'd been a little less irate, he might have noticed that Seb had forgotten to replace the lid on the teapot. It was lying next to the kettle on the draining board.

Seb stopped about three feet from Belvedere, and smiled pleasantly at him. 'Good afternoon, my fat, monocled friend,' he said in a soft, amiable voice. He glanced into the teapot, then back up at the incensed face in front of him. 'Just in time for a cuppa – I DON'T THINK!'

With that, he hurled the contents of the teapot at Belvedere. The liquid was boiling hot, and Belvedere screamed with pain and rage as it splashed into his face and eyes. Now that the teapot was empty, Seb flung it aside and it smashed against the kitchen wall. Then both men leapt at each other!

Seb was the first forward, and lunged at His Lordship, both hands reaching for the other man's throat. But Belvedere flung Seb away from him. Seb reeled back, colliding with the sink. He seized the teapot lid from the draining board and flung it at Belvedere. It caught him a glancing blow on the shoulder, but the crazed madman didn't even feel it. He launched himself onto Seb, pinning him in place with his left hand and raising the right to smack him hard.

Not truly knowing what he was doing, Seb flung out his arm and grabbed the kettle, which also lay on the draining board. Deftly, he swung it up towards Belvedere's outstretched arm. Because Seb had only removed it from the stove about two minutes ago, the kettle was still hot. The base connected with the palm of Belvedere's right hand! It burned into him like acid!

Belvedere screamed again and, with a jerk of his arm, sent the kettle flying into the sink. Then, while Belvedere stood there clutching his scorched hand, Seb pushed outwards with both hands. Belvedere staggered backwards and hit the opposite wall, causing it to shudder violently. The crockery cabinet was right over his head! The quaking wall loosened the cupboard's nails and the whole thing descended with a dreadful splintering crash onto Belvedere's back! Belvedere cursed at the top of his voice and flung both arms over his head as fragments of wood, glass and china rained down on his shoulders and back.

With something between a sob and a snarl, Belvedere stormed across the room and seized the kitchen table. Mustering all his strength, he picked it up and threw it. Seb dodged nimbly to one side – the table flew over his head and hit the wall behind him, breaking in two, the legs flying like batons.

Belvedere seized one of the splintered table legs and started forward, only for Seb to swing his fist into his adversary's face with all his strength. There came a soft crunch and tiny shards of glass fell to the floor, while blood gushed down His Lordship's face. Seb's fist had smashed Belvedere's monocle and broken his nose as well!

Belvedere yelled and raised the table leg, ready to strike. But Seb weaved round him deftly and hit him again, this time in the stomach. Seb felt his fist sink into a few inches of solid fat. The force sent Belvedere doubling up just enough for Seb to dart past him, fling open the nearest cupboard, grab an armful of crockery and shy them one at a time at Belvedere. The plates and bowls hammered into Belvedere's back, sending the man staggering blindly forwards. His head thudded into the opposite wall and he reeled back. Then Seb whacked him smartly on the head with both hands clasped into one fist, and finally Belvedere collapsed to the floor with an audible thud.

Seb lost no time, but threw himself onto the other man's stomach. There he knelt, pounding the lord alternately with the biggest saucepan from the kitchen range and another table leg. But Belvedere had been expecting this. Suddenly he brought up both ham-like hands against Seb's ribcage and pushed his hardest. Seb sailed the length of the kitchen and into the window!

CRASH! The window splintered at once and Seb flew through the gap, glass flying everywhere, landing in a heap on the lawn. Before any of the children could hurry forward to help him, he leapt up, eyes blazing, brandished his fists and roared, 'Come on, Fubsy! Is that the best you can do?'

The children on guard at the gate stared. It had been astonishing enough for Seb to battle a man who was easily twice his age and width, but actually encouraging him, wanting more from the maniac himself, was something else again!

As one, they charged across the lawn to the back of the house, but then Belvedere himself appeared at the broken window. He had evidently climbed onto the draining board. From where he stood on the sill, he launched himself across the short space between him and Seb. Caught by surprise, Seb toppled backwards onto the grass. Then Belvedere pinned him down with both knees and raised his arm, ready to strike.

'HEY!' roared David at the top of his strong young voice. 'No one does that to my dad!' The boy took a great running jump onto Belvedere's broad back and, seizing the raised arm with both hands, sank his short but strong teeth into the man's hand! It would have been bad enough if he'd bitten an uninjured hand. But Belvedere had foolishly raised his right hand, the one that had been burnt by the kettle! And of course it was this hand that David bit!

Belvedere uttered a scream that echoed around the garden, and with a swing of his arm, sent the boy spinning.

'_Leave him!_' roared Seb at his eldest son. '_Belvedere is mine!_'

At that moment, there came a scream and a crash of glass from the other side of the house. Then Lady Belvedere staggered into view, followed closely by a vengeful Sam! Both were in just as bad a way as their husbands and they too weren't giving up easily!

'We're going to have to take them on ourselves, chaps!' shouted David as Seb and Belvedere set on one another again. 'The younger ones can get Lady Belvedere, and we older ones will tackle His Lordship. Come on, before _they_ win!'

As he spoke, Seb seized a nearby flower tub and swung it into Belvedere's bulging stomach. The man gurgled and doubled up. The Five, plus Jo, David, Polly and Justin, sprang at Belvedere, pinning His Lordship to the ground. They all trampled, wrestled, punched and kicked for some minutes.

The fight was gloriously energetic, but it left not one of the fighters unharmed. At least half of them sustained black eyes, and three of them cut lips. Bruises and cuts appeared on everyone's faces, legs and arms. But no one minded – in the confusion, they barely felt it. They all fought like they'd never fought before, punching out with both arms and kicking like new-born babies. Timmy bit and clawed savagely at his enemy, as if afraid that his little mistress might try and stop him at any minute.

A shrill siren suddenly filled the air as five police cars roared into view, tearing up the hill towards the manor. They swept up the drive and skidded to a halt, sending up sprays of gravel in their wake. The front doors of the first car flew open and the Inspector and his deputy leapt out. Meanwhile, Alex, Charlie and Lily had managed to hold Lady Belvedere, her lorgnettes splintered and her dress torn, to the grass.

'You little termites!' shrieked Her Ladyship as Charlie anchored her stout arms to the ground. 'Did you really think we can be defeated by children? We, Lord and Lady Belvedere!'

'Yes, actually, we did,' snapped Alex. 'Now shut up, you old hag!'

Suddenly, Lord Belvedere let out an animal roar and, punching upwards at the children with both arms, struggled to his feet. His jacket was torn, his monocle in pieces and his face puce with fury!

'I will not be taken!' he raged, his voice echoing around the garden as he addressed everyone present. He was so caught up in himself that he didn't see the Five, led by Julian, dart round the side of the manor and seize a huge barrel that had been stood up against the wall. 'I will never be taken! This is not over yet, you rats! I am leaving Sodor today, and there will be nothing you can do to stop me! But hear this, skunks! I will be back, do you hear me? And next time, nothing will go wrong! I will force a law into parliament that decrees that every steam engine kettle in the land is to be scrapped immediately! And that will be...'

But Belvedere never finished the sentence, for the last few words were lost to a gurgle and a splutter as Julian, Dick, George, Jo and Anne raised the house's rain tub high and emptied the contents over the man's head! Belvedere roared once more as several gallons of grimy water completely enveloped him, and then he collapsed to the lawn, drenched and wheezing.

'Get them!' roared the Inspector to his men, who charged as a body at the two defeated aristocrats. Both Belvederes were seized, and brusquely shunted into the nearest police car. The Inspector slammed the door and looked round at the children.

'I have a feeling this will go down in history as one of the most competent fights on Sodor,' he said, surveying the group with a twinkle in his eye. 'I think you ought to know that I've been doing this job for almost twenty years, and in all that time I've never seen anything quite like it! You were all very brave indeed, and I think you deserve our congratulations! I think all the Sudrians should thank you as well for getting rid of that toad!'

Belvedere's face was white with rage! His suit was soaked and filthy, his eyes bulged and his mouth was stretched in a terrible grimace!

'Those children!' he rasped. 'Let me at them now! I will make them wish they had never been born! Just you wait!'

'You'll do no such thing, scum!' barked the Inspector. 'You're going straight to the country's toughest asylum and much good may it do you! As for you children, I suppose a reward will be in order for all you've done.'

'Thank you, sir,' said Julian. 'But what will happen now that we've got that man and his tribe of followers with you?'

'Now I think you all ought to accompany us back to Tidmouth,' said the Inspector. 'I'm sure the Fat Controller will be most relieved you're all right. Thomas was certainly worried enough when he, Percy and Toby went to rescue you!'

'But what will happen to Belvedere and his men?' asked Dick, wincing as he gently touched his black eye. 'I just want to know if he's going to cause us trouble again! I jolly well hope not!'

'I somehow doubt it,' replied the Inspector. 'As I've said before, we're sending them all to Broadmoor – that's for the country's most dangerous criminals, the ones who we see as criminally insane! If he causes us grief there, he'll simply be transferred to Wormwood Scrubs, which has tougher security. So I doubt you'll ever see him again!'

'Now Tim will never get treated badly again!' said George happily. 'Oh, how glad I was to see that brute being dragged away!'

'You've all done brilliantly, children!' said Seb. 'You fought with courage and strength, the likes of which I shall never forget!'

'Yes, but let's not forget who took out His Lordship in the first place,' said Julian. 'You were as brave as us, Seb – and you too, Sam! We've all done a simply splendid job, I should think!'

'You've all done us proud,' said the Inspector. 'I must say, a fight on the premises of Bosworth Manor was the last thing any of us expected! Nevertheless, you pulled it off in fine style!'

'I say, did you see Anne join in the fight with us?' said Dick loyally, cupping an arm round his sister's shoulders. 'I never knew you had it in you, Anne! Normally you stay out of fights!'

'I just couldn't stand back and let you have all the fun!' said Anne. 'You were always telling me I need to be braver, so I did what I could. But not one of us came out of that fight unharmed.'

'You were brilliant too, Jo,' said Julian, pulling Jo into a one-armed hug. 'In fact, if it wasn't for you and Timmy, we wouldn't even be here at all! It makes me shudder to think of what might have happened if you hadn't come to Sodor when you did.'

George was now on her knees beside Timmy, seeing if he had been at all injured in the fight. 'He's got several bruises along his back! That Belvedere really knows how to leave his mark! I'm sorry, Tim! Well, he's gone now, so there's no need to worry.'

'I feel sure that we can overlook such slip-ups as that,' said Sam. 'What matters is that we've done our bit, and done it very well indeed. Now I think we ought to head back to Tidmouth and reassure the Fat Controller.'

'Climb aboard the cars, then,' said the Inspector, boarding the van and starting the engine. 'I'd better get this cargo to the police station before it tries to break away again. The rest of the force can take you with them to the Big Station.' He moved the car into first gear, and set off down the road, turning away from the town of Killdane and disappearing in the direction of Vicarstown.

Under Seb's directions, the group split up and made for different cars. Seb and Sam got into the front one, David, Polly and Justin into the one behind, Alex, Charlie and Lily into the one after that, and the Five, plus Jo, squeezed into the last car of all. Then the police set off, weaving their way in an imposing crocodile down the hill, through Killdane and then on towards Tidmouth.

As they passed the Main Line, the children looked round for sight of the accident, and saw Duck, Edward, Donald and Douglas already there, while the breakdown gang did what they could to set things right. Even as they watched, Henry steamed past the crash site at the head of the Express. All ten children waved to their friends, and every one of them whistled back! Whether it was because they'd seen them or because it was in their interest to whistle to the police, the children were unsure.

The journey lasted close to an hour, but it was an hour in which the children sang songs and thumped each other in celebration! What was so queer was that the police never once lifted a finger to stop them! One or two of them even joined in the songs!

'This is all smashing!' said Dick to Julian as they passed through Edward's station and Wellsworth. 'But I wonder what the Fat Controller will have to say. After all, we did launch an attack on Belvedere and his men.'

'I'm sure the Fat Controller can't blame us, he must know we were trying to catch him,' said Julian warmly. 'Besides, Thomas told us that he's an old friend with Uncle Quentin, and I'm sure the Fat Controller wouldn't want to think badly of an old friend's family!'


	31. The Parting Of The Ways

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

_**The parting of the ways**_

Despite all the gaiety, it was something of a relief when the procession passed through Knapford and came in sight of the Big Station and the buildings that surrounded it. They drew up in the station car park and everyone disembarked. Several curious heads turned their way as the police led the children across the concourse and into the station. Henry was already there with the Express, and grinned at the children as they crossed the platform.

'I think a visit to the Fat Controller's office is in order,' said the Inspector, leading the way onto the platform. He marched up to the office door and knocked at it smartly.

As it happened, the Fat Controller was in his office, drafting out a timetable for the summer. He was still reeling slightly from what had proved to be a most unusual chain of events. First, of course, the Five had vanished into thin air! They had been found a bit later, tied up in the back of a van!

Then Gordon and James had been pushed down the hill by the trucks – just the sort of thing those little pests _would_ do – and smashed into the rear of Selwyn's train! The Fat Controller had sent the breakdown gang out, as well as a few engines on standby, to see to the damage. He was waiting for a report on what was happening.

All in all, he was finding it hard to concentrate on the timetable, but just then there came a knock on the door.

'Come in,' said the Fat Controller automatically, without looking up. The door opened, and the floor almost seemed to shake beneath their feet. He looked up, and his jaw dropped as he saw almost the entire police force, the Five, Jo and the Franciscos pour into his office!

'What on earth...?' he began.

'Sir, I can explain,' said Seb hastily. 'Then again, I believe _we_ can explain.'

'Well, erm, I certainly didn't, uh, it's most, er, unexpected,' stammered the Fat Controller. 'But pray, um, Inspector, er, children, make yourselves comfortable. Ah, Timmy, I see you're fit as a fiddle! Splendid! Perhaps you'd like to tell us all what happened, Julian and David.'

Of course, it wasn't just David and Julian who told the tale. Everyone shared what they could, and left out absolutely nothing. The Fat Controller listened in growing disbelief, but smiled warmly as Seb told him how Timmy and Jo had escaped from the van and found him, Sam and the Ffarquhar crew.

'A very brave and clever thing to do!' he said, making George and Jo glow with pride. 'You've raised a remarkable dog, young George! And you, Jo, are a highly resourceful young girl! I congratulate both you and Timmy!'

'Thank you, Sir!' said Jo, curtseying shyly, and then stooping to hug Timmy with George.

'May I ask why you only spoke with my engines instead of telling me before you ventured into danger like that?' went on the Fat Controller. 'I mean, breaking and entering at Bosworth Manor! It would seem most far-fetched if we said we were investigating him!'

'I think I can answer that,' said Seb as Julian and Dick exchanged glances. 'They thought that you might not approve, Sir. Also, I think they believed that, if they said you were probing a knight of the realm, it would look very bad for business indeed. Am I right?'

'Yes,' admitted Julian. 'We wanted to tell you, Sir, we really did! But this is _Lord Belvedere_ we're talking about! He has a very great hierarchy, and if we were seen to be taking him on, the British government might not like it and they could say that Sodor is a bad influence!'

'I understand,' sympathised the Fat Controller, laying a paternal hand on Julian's shoulder. 'It would indeed be bad for all of us if we were seen to dislike a lord. But I'm most impressed with how you did what you did. I'm proud of you, Julian! You managed to carry out the task of bringing the Belvederes to justice, _and_ take care of your brother, sister and cousin at the same time! You're every bit as capable as Seb here ever was! The rest of you children also impress me greatly! But please continue, my dear fellows.'

Everyone finished the tale by describing what happened at Bosworth Manor. This too rendered the Fat Controller speechless, especially when he heard about the fight with Lord and Lady Belvedere!

'Well, you've all performed brilliantly!' he said heartily. 'I must say, you Five are every bit as brave and clever as Quentin said! I think you and Jo, George, played the part of boy to the full. I'm not at all surprised that half the engines on this island think you really are a boy. I believe you suit a boy better than you would ever do a girl.' He smiled and ruffled the beaming George's hair. Then he crouched down and held out his hand to Timmy, who held out his paw in imitation.

Timmy and the Fat Controller had barely shaken hands when two deep-toned whistles sounded in the distance. The Inspector opened the door and looked out. Donald and Douglas were approaching the station, double-heading Selwyn's trucks!

While Douglas backed the vans into a vacant siding, Donald pulled almost all of the empty coaches away. Then Douglas pulled a lone coach away from its fellows and pushed it to the bay platform, while Donald shunted the remaining seven into the carriage siding.

'A fine piece of work,' commented Henry as he reversed away from the platform to the water column. 'I didn't actually see the fight myself, but word gets around. Well done, all of you! But now I have to wait for my evening train, so good day to you.'

Donald and Douglas beamed at the children.

'We saw an' haurd awthing at Bosworth Manor!' said Donald. 'Ye war a' verra wicht in the fecht wi' the Belvederes! Thanks tae ye, he's gane frae oor lifes foriver!'

'Ivery ane o' ye bairns hae duin uz prood!' said Douglas. 'Nou we unnerstand whit yer paurents say aboot ye! See ye the morra!'

As the twins whistled goodbye and set off down the line towards Arlesdale, Daisy suddenly appeared, towing a cattle truck into the yard.

'I used the phone in the police car we travelled back in to call Mr Crowe and ask if Fred could be brought back,' said Seb. 'I knew it would take too long for us to go all the way to Ffarquhar, and beside I can't think how we would have fitted Fred in a police car!'

Daisy pushed the cattle truck into the siding containing the train of loaded ballast trucks from Arlesdale and then backed down on the Express coach. She smiled at the children.

'My goodness!' she said. 'I'm glad to see you all safe and sound! And Timmy, how could I forget you? Did you see that nasty Belvedere off? I bet you did! Did everything go all right?'

'It went wonderfully, thank you,' said Dick. 'Whatever are you doing here?'

Daisy indicated the coach she was coupled to. 'This is Thomas' special coach. It's for people from the Express who want to travel on his branch line. But Thomas and Percy are busy at the harbour, so I came instead. I say, why on earth are you dressed in combat fatigues? And Julian, why are you and your family so dirty? You look like chimney sweeps with all that soot!'

'It's a long story, Daisy,' said Julian. 'I'm sure that Sir Topham will explain everything to all of his engines in good time.'

'Indeed I will,' assured the Fat Controller. 'But for now, I think you'd all better part ways. Seb, Sam, you and your clan should be heading back to Francisco House. I've arranged for you to be sent back on Bill and Ben's ballast train, along with Fred in his horsebox. Ah, here they come now!'

The children turned to see Bill and Ben puffing into the yard. At the sight of the crowd on the platform, astonishment, confusion and relief crossed their faces.

'We were afraid we'd never see you again!' grinned Bill as he and Ben backed down onto their train. 'You all look like you've done your bit for us! I bet Belvedere's under lock and key by now!'

'He certainly is,' said the Fat Controller. 'Thanks to these delightful children, I can assure you that he'll never set foot on Sudrian soil again, on pain of torture!'

'We knew you could do it!' smiled Ben. 'You had that look about you that said you would do your duty or die trying!'

George beamed at the twins. 'Thank you, twins! But now that Belvedere has gone from your lives, I suppose that means we're useless!'

'Don't be stupid, George!' said Dick, shocked at such an idea. 'I'm sure we're jolly useful to the Sudrians, Belvedere or no Belvedere! Anyway, I bet we're allowed to stay here for the rest of the holiday. Aren't we, Sir?'

'But of course,' replied the Fat Controller. 'I was talking with your Uncle Quentin on the phone this morning, and he said that he's far too busy to have you for the rest of the month, so we'll be perfectly happy to have you.'

'That sounds brilliant!' said Anne. 'Please Sir, may we camp somewhere else on the island? Somewhere that our tents won't get knocked down?'

'I'm sure you don't have to worry about your tents being knocked down,' said the Fat Controller. 'Now that Belvedere's network is in tatters and he himself has been removed, he can't pose as a threat any more. What do you say, Julian?'

Julian nodded his head and smiled. 'I'm happy to camp there again. It gives most amazing views, and it was one of the quietest parts of the island.' He turned to his brother. 'How about you, Dick?'

'I don't believe there's anywhere on Sodor I'd rather camp,' said Dick. 'And I suppose George would only come if that meant Tim would be with us.' George grinned awkwardly and Timmy barked as if to say, 'Whatever you say, mistress!'

'That's settled, then,' said Seb. 'But I think we ought to be heading back home. Jack, did you bring these children's bags as I asked?'

'Yes,' replied Bill and Ben's guard. 'I'll just fetch them.' He ducked into his van and came out with the Five's respective backpacks, which he handed round. He also handed Julian a large bag containing the children's clothes that Sam had evidently cleaned.

'Thank you very much,' said Dick. 'I say, Seb, do you think we ought to change out of these army clothes? We'd stick out like sore thumbs if we went down the main street of Tidmouth!'

'I shouldn't worry,' said Seb. 'They're just spares. They would have spent the rest of their days in David's wardrobe collecting dust. You can keep them, and we don't want any money for them.'

'Oh, thank you so much, Seb!' cried Julian. 'I've always wanted to wear this sort of kit!'

To the surprise of everyone, including Bill, Ben and Daisy, Sam suddenly wrapped Julian in her arms and gave him a hug. 'We should be the ones thanking you, Julian,' she said. 'And you all deserve those uniforms – for taking on Belvedere face to face, finding out his secret and fighting strong! You and your family are such brave soldiers! We're very proud of all six of you! Yes, Jo and Timmy too!'

'Anything to help a friend,' said Julian as Sam hugged Dick, then Anne, George and Jo. 'We never really expected a reward, let alone wanted one. The only reward we would have wanted was to see Belvedere removed from your lives forever!'

This was greeted by a duet of whistles from Bill and Ben, and the blast of a horn from Daisy.

'Well, I suppose you should be taking your family home now, Seb,' said the Inspector. 'We'll all look further into the matter. I've already asked for most of the convicts to be dropped off at the police station for some very serious questioning indeed! So I'll be heading back there as soon as possible.'

'Well, I can always rely on my engines to spread the word themselves,' replied the Fat Controller. 'I'm sure Edward will have told the Skarloey engines, and Duck, Donald and Douglas the Arlesdale and Culdee Fell engines as well. Every one of these children has done tremendous work. But right now, they are tired, dirty and hungry. They deserve a rest.'

'Well, then, come back to the Big Station at about nine o'clock tomorrow morning,' said the Inspector to Julian. 'I think it's best if you put up your tents, and then relax for the rest of the day.'

'See you tomorrow,' said Seb, reaching out and shaking Dick and Julian's hands. 'Thank you and well done again for all you've done for us.'

So saying, Seb herded his wife, children and nephews into the brake van of Bill and Ben's train. Then, with a duet of cheerful whistles, Bill and Ben puffed away with their load of ballast, while the children waved till they'd turned the bend and disappeared from sight.

'I think I should be setting off as well,' said Daisy after a short pause. 'I have a yarn to tell Thomas, Percy and Toby, involving a certain band of bold children! Will I be needed here tomorrow?'

'Of course, Daisy,' replied the Inspector. 'I think all the Fat Controller's engines should come, unless they have good reason not to.'

'See you back here tomorrow, then, children,' said Daisy. 'The rest of the Ffarquhar crew will be here as well. I'll be off then.' With that, she rolled away, pulling Thomas' special coach behind her.

'And now,' said Julian once the diesel railcar had vanished down the Main Line, 'we've got some tents to put up. Come on, everyone. We'll come back here tomorrow, Sir, you can bet on that.'

'See you in the morning, then,' said the Inspector as he and the Fat Controller each gave them a handshake in congratulations. 'We'll look for any other details in this huge case of Belvedere's, and I'm sure we'll be able to tell them to you tomorrow.'

'Julian, please may I come and stay at your camp tonight?' asked Jo timidly.

'Of course you may!' said Julian kindly. 'You helped to rescue us, and anyway you're one of our closest friends! I only hope Mr Crowe doesn't mind.'

Jo grinned delightedly, and hugged first Julian and then Dick. The five children shouldered their backpacks and, waving to the two men, left the station, crossed the car park and set off through Tidmouth. They knew where the footpath was, so it didn't take them at all long to find it. After that, they set off for their old camping place.

'I think the Inspector meant what he said,' said Dick eventually, as his way of breaking the silence. 'When he said we'd made them all jolly proud.'

'Of course he did,' said Julian. 'A policeman would never tell untruths unless he has very good reason to – and what reason could the Inspector possibly have to try and deceive us?'

'He was so good to us,' said Anne. 'So was the Fat Controller. All the engines were so kind too!'

'That's the nature of Sodor, Anne,' said Julian. 'I remember reading in a few of our _Railway Series_ books that deep down all the engines were as kind and decent as the day is long!'

'I think the books were right about the engines all along,' said Dick. 'Certainly the only engine who's been nasty to us was Smellwyn, and I believe that he's sitting in Crovan's Gate right now, waiting to be repaired. Except that he can't because he's been damaged so badly!'

They all laughed as they remembered how the Class 50's fuel tank had been filled with rubbish, and how Belvedere had wrecked the cab in his anger. Timmy barked loudly and licked Julian's hand.

'He's saying that he wished he could see that diesel,' said George proudly, ruffling Timmy's long brown coat. 'No, Tim, we can't go all the way to the Works just to see Smellwyn.'

'But I can promise you this,' said Julian. 'Tomorrow, once we've been to the Big Station, we shall return to Crovan's Gate and visit the Works and the Skarloey Railway.'

'Hurrah!' cheered George. 'What a marvellous idea! The Skarloey Railway is truly a beautiful place! I'd love to go up to the Lake again, and to meet all those little engines again!'

'So would I,' said Dick. 'But we can't go now. Crovan's Gate is on the other side of the island, its late afternoon, and we're all so tired. I'm surprised I can even walk!'

It was true. The children's pace was definitely slowing from glorious tiredness. They crossed the town without mishap and found the stile into the hilly field. They scrambled up the grassy slope until they reached the crest where they'd camped before the tents were knocked down.

It was the work of less than fifteen minutes to unpack and erect the tents, and when that was done, the five children slumped onto their backs, and Timmy onto his front, on the soft, cool grass.

'Just _look_ at Tim!' said Jo, raising her head to take in the big mongrel. 'He's as flat as a rug!'

'Well, we've all had a busy day,' yawned Dick. 'On the whole, I can't wait to crawl into my sleeping bag and forget everything for nine or ten hours.'

'Well, we can't get comfortable just yet,' said Julian. 'Two of us should go down for provisions. If we are to camp her again, then it's best to have supplies to keep us going.'

Dick sat up with the speed of a python. 'Gosh, yes! How could we forget about the food? We can't starve while we're here, can we? I think Anne and me should go at once!'

'Well, here's the money,' said Julian. 'Just don't be too long about it.'

Anne, Jo and Dick climbed to their feet, and Anne and Dick each grabbed a basket. Together, they ran down the hill, swung themselves over the stile and set off up the road. It wasn't long before the two of them reached Crowe's Farm to find the man mucking out his pigs. As he treated the children to another generous supply of food, Dick told him about Jo choosing to stay at their camp.

'Of course she can stay with you, Dick!' said Mr Crowe said as he and the children carefully loaded the baskets. 'She's my goddaughter and I think she should be allowed to do what she likes!'

'Oh, thank you, sir!' cried Jo, hugging her godfather round the middle in ecstasy. 'You're so kind to me, not like my father used to be.' Dick and Anne exchanged glances, quite surprised to hear the little girl refer to her godfather as 'sir'.

'I keep telling you, Jo – call me Arthur,' chortled Mr Crowe. 'I think that, while you're all here, I ought to say well done for taking down Lord and Lady Belvedere!'

Anne stared at him. 'How on earth did you know that?'

'A little engine told me,' smiled Mr Crowe, gently stroking Anne's cheek. 'A little _blue_ engine, to be exact. I think the rest of the island, especially the engines, should be most grateful to you, and that you should be rewarded – you and the Franciscos.'

'We're not expecting a reward,' said Dick, feeling rather embarrassed. 'More to the point, we don't _want_ one. We're just glad to help our friends!'

'Well, don't think the engines are going to ignore all this,' replied Mr Crowe. 'Normally, they would declare themselves your friends forever. Now, before you go with them, Jo, I suggest you fetch anything else you might need, but mainly your sleeping bag and pyjamas.'

Dick and Anne took up their baskets, thanked Mr Crowe and set off back to the camp. Jo followed behind, carrying her sleeping bag and pyjamas under one arm. A little later, they, Julian, George and Timmy were seated outside their tents, tucking into a hearty late supper. The sun was within a few feet of the horizon, and the shadows were growing as the light faded.

'Well, I'm ready to drop!' said George once they'd finished their supper. 'So is Timmy, from the look of him. Oh, Timmy! If it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't even be here! We might be on our way to America or some other faraway land. The same goes for you, Jo!'

'In that case, I think we ought to drink a toast to the pair of them,' said Julian, and raised his mug of ginger beer accordingly. 'To Jo, our oldest friend, and Timmy, the best dog in the world!'

'To Jo and Timmy!' chorused the others. Jo hugged Timmy as the others drank to both of them.

'Well, I think it's time to turn in,' said Julian, lowering his cup and yawning. 'There's a stream just over there. We can wash there and then we can get straight into our sleeping bags.'

The children washed one at a time in the little brook, Timmy taking his turn after George, then allowed Anne to wash the dishes as well. Once they were in their pyjamas, they crawled into their tents. Jo joined George, Timmy and Anne, while Dick and Julian remained on their own. Too tired to talk much, they unfolded their sleeping bags, wriggled into them and lay back contentedly.

Once he was sure George was comfortable, Timmy pattered into the girls' tent and lay down contentedly in the crook in his mistress' legs, looking for all the world like a big, furry hot water bottle. 'Dearest Timmy!' thought George as she dozed off to sleep. 'Whatever would we _do_ – wherever would we _be_ – without you? You have never let us down, and hopefully you never will do!'


	32. The End Of The Adventure

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

_**The end of the adventure**_

The boys were awoken next morning by the sunlight shafting through the tent flaps. Julian sat up, stretched and peered through the opening. The sun had only just risen and was already shining strongly. The birds were chirping loudly in the trees and bushes, and the sky was blue.

'What's the matter?' said Dick groggily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

'Time to get up,' said Julian with a quick glance at his watch. 'We're due at the Big Station at nine, remember? And it's about quarter past seven already! So we have about an hour and a half to hand. Come on now, stir your stumps. I'll go and wake the girls.'

But he need not have bothered, for just then, George, Anne, Jo and Timmy emerged from their tent, blinking in the sunlight. A quarter of an hour later, they were all fully dressed and sitting in a semicircle while Jo and Dick prepared a simple meal of bacon and eggs over a small campfire.

'Just like old times!' said Dick as they ate. 'Simmer down, Tim! You have your own food to sustain you, so don't even think of trying to take mine!'

'Don't be too harsh on Tim, Dick!' said Jo, torn between reproach and amusement. 'He's the best dog in the world and you know it! Besides, I'm sure he wouldn't hurt a fly!'

Jo patted Timmy companionably, and proffered a rather overdone bacon rasher to the dog, who devoured it gratefully. The others watched them both fondly. They felt that both the girl and the dog deserved all the attention! If it hadn't been for them, the Five might have been spirited away and never be heard of again!

'I wonder what will happen when we get to Tidmouth,' said Anne, collecting the crockery to take to the stream and wash. 'Mr Crowe said we should expect some sort of thank you from the engines.'

'We'll just have to wait and see,' said Julian. 'The Inspector said nine o'clock, so I think we should set off as soon as possible.'

'We just _can't_ leave without Timmy!' said Jo, even before George could say anything. 'You and I were a great team at the quarry, Tim, and I wouldn't leave you if my life depended on it!'

George scowled briefly, but then smiled. 'My feelings exactly, Jo! Sometimes I wonder how you and I can be so alike in feelings and appearance! But no one loves Tim more than I do!' She and Jo both hugged the big dog, one on each side.

'Then it seems we're agreed,' said Julian. 'Are you finished over there, Anne? If so, then I think we ought to be setting off for the Big Station.'

About five minutes later, the five children, with Tim leaping round their legs, were marching in single file down the slope, bags over their shoulders. They had wordlessly agreed to retrace their route of last night. It was the quickest route and the most picturesque, as the children had found out.

The trail from Hackenbeck to Tidmouth was today perhaps at its most beautiful, compared with the last two times they had traversed it. Flowers blossomed in abundance by the side of the path, the grass and trees were both in various shades of green and birds tweeted happily from the undergrowth. Occasionally, rabbits big and small hoped across the trail in front of them. Each time they did so, Timmy whined longingly and tried to go after them, but each time he did, George would make an authoritative noise in her throat and Timmy would think better of it.

Soon, the trees fell away to reveal the edge of Tidmouth, but it seemed surprisingly quiet. Cars were parked in the streets, but there was no one about.

The station appeared in front of them. If the children had thought there was no one in Tidmouth, they clearly thought wrong. They could hear voices coming from within the station, a great deal of them, all of them seemingly bustling about and talking excitedly. They couldn't make out what anyone was saying, but they heard one or two voices that they recognised.

The children hurried up the steps in front of the station. Almost as if by magic, sudden and total silence fell on the other side of the door. After a few seconds, there followed some hissing whispers and a clatter of running feet. Quickly, Julian drew himself up and pushed open the door. The other four children and Timmy followed him through.

No sooner had they entered the station than the children were nearly deafened by an explosive chorus of cheers and whistles! As if in a trance, they marched through the doors and stood spellbound on the platform, gazing round. Every single one of the Fat Controller's engines was assembled in the station! Edward, BoCo, Bill and Ben were at Platform One, Gordon, Henry and James at Platform Two, Thomas, Percy, Toby and Daisy at Platform Three, and Duck, Donald and Douglas at Platform Four! Not only that, but the platform the children were currently standing on bore a big crowd of people, among which they made out the Fat Controller, Jem Cole, the police with their Inspector and, in a small bunch in the foreground, all eight Franciscos.

'Whatever is going on?' cried Julian at last.

'We just wanted to thank you and the Franciscos from the bottom of our hearts for helping us to get rid of Belvedere,' said the Inspector, taking the role of spokesman. 'He was possibly the worst character to come to Sodor since the diesel shunter – a Class 08, no less – that told lies about Duck and got sent packing.'

'Well, I think Jo and Tim should be thanked first,' said George solemnly. 'We couldn't have defeated the Belvederes without them!'

'It was nothing really,' said Dick. 'We're just glad to help. Thank you for being so kind to us.'

'And for your support,' added Julian, mainly addressing Edward, who was standing close by. 'If you and the other engines hadn't been so encouraging in what you said the night before last, we would never have had the determination to go after Belvedere! Thank you so much, Edward.'

'Pleased to be of assistance,' smiled Edward. 'I ought also to say well done to David and his family for all they've done. After all, you could never have done what you did without them!'

'It was the least we could do,' said David. 'Belvedere was trying to frame Father, so we had to do something before he succeeded.'

'I think we ought also to thank you three for rescuing us from the convoy,' said Julian to Thomas, Percy and Toby. 'If it hadn't been for you, we might well be halfway across the Atlantic by now!'

'We're glad we could help,' replied Thomas. 'Of course, we couldn't let Belvedere go ahead with his plan – that would defeat the point.'

'If it hadn't been for Gordon and James, Timmy would be dead!' said Anne. 'Belvedere was about to kill him, but they had their accident just in time. Where are they, anyway?'

'Over here,' called Gordon. He was standing behind James, who was looking rather forlorn with a bent bufferbeam and a dented funnel!

'I thought that you were to be sent to the Works last night, James,' said Julian.

'Change of plan – I was called out to the celebrations,' said James, managing a smile. 'I wasn't allowed to run on my own, of course. Not in this state! So Gordon came and brought me down. By the way, the Skarloey engines say thank you and well done to all you children.'

'George,' said Gordon, sounding very solemn indeed. 'We – that is, Henry, James and I – just want to say how sorry we are for not taking you or your dog seriously! We know now what Timmy's capable of, and we all can see why you think the world of him. We also applaud the plucky way that you pretend to be a boy, and why you think it should be that way, and the amazing way you stood up to Belvedere when none of us had the courage before! So we apologise for all we said. We only hope you can forgive us someday soon.'

George smiled at the Big Engines. 'That's all right,' she said. 'I'm sorry too. If I hadn't fawned over Timmy so, and if I hadn't yelled at all three of you the other night, perhaps you would have trusted me a bit more.'

'Does this mean Gordon isn't scared of dogs anymore?' asked Julian.

'Well, it was only one dog, Julian,' said Henry. 'And a very fierce one at that! So I think the answer is yes, Gordon is fine with dogs.'

'In that case, thank you, Gordon and James,' said George. 'I'm sure Timmy could thank you if only he could talk. You both saved his life.'

'Please, it was just an accident,' said James awkwardly. 'There's nothing to make a big puff and whistle about! But we're just glad to help, _George_!'

'You're a fine, sturdy young man if ever I saw one,' agreed Gordon. 'I feel sure, George, that Dr Kirrin is proud to call you his son. If it wasn't for you, Belvedere would probably be on the other side of the world and we would be his unwitting "helpers".'

'It was nothing, Gordon,' smiled George.

'Oh yes it was, George,' said Gordon. 'You are a very brave young lad!'

'Hear, hear!' chorused James and Henry.

George beamed at the Big Engines. She was never one to bear a grudge, and the others knew it. If someone admitted they were in the wrong, then forgiveness was the only thing George could offer. First James had complimented her dog, and now Gordon had referred to her as a boy! No wonder she felt comforted! She found it hard to imagine that she had hated all three engines, Gordon especially!

'You don't have to hear people telling you that you're a boy, George,' said Edward solemnly. 'Your bravery, loyalty, truthfulness and wilfulness all speak volumes! Perhaps that is what makes you such a great boy. It's not that you have to act like one, or dress the same as most boys your age. It's just that, in your heart, you _are_ one! I suppose, really, it runs in the family!'

'I don't think those trucks will try anything again in a hurry,' said James confidently. 'They know what happened, and I bet they didn't like it at all. Oh yes, I don't think I'm going to be having any more accidents for a long time to come! It wasn't even as if I had any real accident before now!'

'Don't events involving bootlaces and tar wagons count as accidents?' asked Thomas innocently.

James scowled. 'Certainly not! And I must say that's pretty rich coming from an engine who fell down a mine and smashed into the stationmaster's house! And who was that chap who went for a spot of unplanned river fishing at Elsbridge?'

Thomas looked most affronted. 'Let me tell you...' he began.

'All right, break it up, both of you,' said Julian, noticing Dick and Anne fight to keep a straight face while Gordon and Daisy exchanged grins across the centre platform. 'What did you find out from the questioning last night, Inspector?'

'Rather a lot, Julian,' said the Inspector. 'Belvedere was operating his smuggling ring long before Mr Reaper faked his death. He had the tunnels dug beneath the island, and hid them in such a way that only a select few knew where the entrances were.'

'To think that was all happening right under our smokeboxes!' said Percy.

'What's going to happen about those tunnels?' asked Toby.

'There's no need to worry,' said the Inspector. 'We've had them condemned, and we believe that over time, the supports may well collapse under the constant strain. As for Bosworth Manor, the Fat Controller's gained permission to have it knocked down and put the stone to use as railway buildings – that was a most unsightly manor to have on the Main Line!'

'Has Belvedere said who supplied him with the goods in the first place?' asked Duck.

'Yes, some of his employees who were working in America, stealing valuable artefacts,' said the Inspector. 'I've alerted the American authorities and they're working together to round them all up. As it turns out, there was one in each of the fifty American States, which at least makes things easier for us all. I suppose you children are all wondering about our Class 50 friend 'Smellwyn the Hoover'? Well, one of the Works diesels was sent to collect Smellwyn and return him to the Other Railway. Right now, he's at Doncaster, undergoing major repairs thanks to the damage caused by Belvedere's mad frenzy and his own contaminated fuel. It may please you to know that the Fat Controller has ordered him to remain on the Other Railway for the rest of his days.'

'But what about the goods themselves?' ventured BoCo. 'I suppose they'll be returned to America in days to come.'

'That goes without saying, BoCo,' smiled the Inspector. 'In fact, they were all packed onto a ship that left Sodor late last night. That freight should be in America in a few weeks' time – it's a very long journey across the Atlantic Ocean!'

'How about Bosworth Manor?' asked Toby. 'Will that stay? I jolly well hope it doesn't. It makes a rather unpleasant eyesore on the Main Line.'

'Funny you should say that, Toby,' replied the Fat Controller. 'The contents of the manor have been sent to Sotheby's Auction House in London to be sold. As for the manor itself, there are plans underway to have it torn down and use its stone and slate to expand the Tidmouth Roundhouse.'

'I might add that the three monitoring units that were put in place across the island have been taken down,' added the Inspector. 'I sent a few men to each of their locations and they were all dismantled. Also, the manager of the Culdee Fell Railway personally went into the basement of Summit station and took apart the system that allowed Mr Reaper's words to be transmitted across the mountain slopes. So, no more deathly rumours about a suicide on _his_ railway, I should think!'

'Did you take Belvedere's men in for questioning, sir?' asked Duck.

'I certainly did,' said the Inspector proudly. 'They were found guilty of their crimes, and they were sent to prison last night. All of them, that is, except one – Mr Hamilton. We took him in for questioning, like the rest, but we let him go when he said he was innocent of all crimes. You see, he had only taken the job of Belvedere's manservant because he was afraid of what His Lordship would say or do if he refused. So we released him and he left Sodor last night for a new life in Belfast. Somehow I doubt he'll want anything to do with His Lordship again.'

The children at once forgave Mr Hamilton for his crimes, even though he wasn't there with them. They felt sure that only a coward would have turned Lord and Lady Belvedere down and, since none of them liked to think of themselves as cowards, it seemed mean to assume that of other people.

'What will happen to Jo?' asked James suddenly. 'Will she go back home at the end of the holidays? More to the point, does she even have a home to go back to?'

'I'm afraid I don't really have a home,' said Jo. Everyone looked at her and they were all startled and saddened to find that there were tears in her eyes and voice!

'My mother died shortly after I was born,' continued Jo, her voice becoming more and more forlorn with every word. 'My father was left to look after me, but that isn't easy when you travel all the time like we did. It actually turned out that he was working with a gang of crooks, so when I, Dick and Julian found them out, they were all arrested and that was the end of it. I was then adopted by my Uncle Alfredo, a circus fire-eater, and that was how I met the Five again.'

'Hoo did ye fin' thaim the thrid time?' asked Donald.

'Easy – Joanna sent me to live with her cousin,' said Jo. 'She's the cook and housekeeper at Kirrin Cottage, I've always liked her. Her cousin was called Roger, and he was very good to me. We both worked at a fair for a while. So we were in the area of Kirrin when I met Dick and the others yet again and heard that George had been kidnapped again. When I returned from helping Dick and Julian to find George, I and Roger went travelling until he allowed me to visit Sodor for the Easter holidays.'

'Why didnae he come an' aw?' asked Douglas.

'He was simply very busy,' said Jo. 'But last night, Mr Crowe received a telegram from the fairground company employing him.' She paused, her face glazed with tears and her voice choked with misery. 'Roger had fallen ill with a very bad case of scarlet fever! The doctor called at least once a day, but nothing he offered did Roger any good at all! And last night, he died in his sleep!'

There was a horrified silence as everyone took this on board. Poor Jo! First her parents, then her uncle, and now her guardian were gone from her life! Whatever was she going to do now?

The Five felt desperately sorry for the little gypsy girl who had been so useful to them so many times before! Almost despite himself, Dick gently slipped his arms round Jo, who hugged Dick back and sobbed into his shoulder. Her miserable sobs stitched the blanket of silence.

'_What_ can we do?' said Thomas wretchedly, by way of breaking the silence. 'Surely there must be something – _anything_! Who will _possibly_ take care of Jo now?'

'I shall!' said an important-sounding voice. At once, every head was blown towards a tall, burly man in dungarees, whom Dick and Anne recognised.

'Mr Crowe! Whatever are you doing here?' cried Dick.

'I came for the celebrations,' said Mr Crowe, stepping forward. 'But I've also come for another reason. And I rather think I should thank you, Dick. After all, it was you who gave me the idea.'

'What do you mean, sir?' asked Dick in surprise.

Mr Crowe smiled. 'Do you remember our first meeting, Dick, the first day you lot arrived? I told you that my goddaughter had arrived the day before you, and that she was already proving to be indispensable to me and my farm!'

'What does he mean by insensible?' asked Percy in a stage whisper.

'Indispensable, Percy,' corrected Julian. 'Mr Crowe means that Jo plays a most important part on his farm.'

'Exactly!' said Mr Crowe triumphantly, and continued. 'Well, Dick, you told me that my goddaughter might just as well be my real daughter when I said how close we'd become.'

'But that was before we knew who your goddaughter was!' cried Anne.

'Nevertheless, Dick has still inspired me,' persisted Mr Crowe. 'And so, if it's all right with you, Sir Topham, I shall be taking custody of young Jo here. She will come and live with me on my farm on Thomas' branch line. She can work there as long as she likes, and I will personally see to it that she has a proper education so that she can read and write like all the rest of us. Jo has few possessions, and thankfully she brought them all to the farm with her.'

'No matter,' said Edward. 'Jo won't have to phone the company, asking for any of her things to be sent down. That could be most embarrassing.'

'Just so, Edward,' said Mr Crowe, with a twinkle in his eye. 'I might add that Jo has worn a skirt for so long that she now does it all the time. This will help to tell the difference between her and George if the Five return to Sodor. What do you think, Sir?' he asked of the Fat Controller.

'Absolutely!' replied the Fat Controller jovially. 'Then any time you five want to return to Sodor, you can combine it with another meeting with this remarkable young lady. I take it that's quite all right with you, Jo?' he added, turning politely to her.

Jo was gazing up at her godfather and the Fat Controller, her face alive with incredulous joy! She couldn't speak, but both men understood. Mr Crowe raised a hand to wave aside any gratitude. 'There's no need to say anything, Jo – and certainly no need to thank either of us! If you should thank anyone, it should be Dick! He gave me the idea, even if it was only a casual remark!'

With a little cry of joy, Jo flung her arms around Dick once more and allowed the boy to twirl her round once or twice with both her feet off the platform. This was the signal for yet another chorus of cheers and whistles from the jubilant engines!

'So what happens now?' said Daisy, once the whistling had died away.

'Now I rather think the children can enjoy their holiday without fear of having another adventure,' said Seb. 'After all, adventures are fun to have, but even more fun to talk about once they are behind you. I don't suppose your father will need you back too soon, George.'

'Why do you say that, Seb?' asked George.

'It's funny you should ask,' said the Fat Controller, reaching into his pocket and drawing out a slim white envelope, which he handed to Julian. 'This telegram came by my office only this morning. It's addressed to all five of you, but I persuaded the postman to have it forwarded to Tidmouth because I couldn't be certain that you were still at your camp.'

'Good thinking, Sir. Someone might chance by the camp and take it,' said Bill.

'Or it could get blown away by the wind, you never know,' added Ben.

Julian tore open the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper that was inside. He unfolded it and read out loud.

'_Dear Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy,_

'_Sir Topham told us yesterday over the phone about what's been happening on Sodor. It all sounds rather dangerous, and I do hope everything's all right! In normal circumst__ances, we would want you to come home on the double, but your uncle has just reached the most important stage in his new experiment, and must not on any account be disturbed. So you all have our permission to spend the rest of the Easter holidays on Sodor._

'_Enjoy yourselves,_

'_Love Aunt Fanny._

'_PS: Julian, Dick and Anne's father came out of hospital yesterday after making a complete recovery, and he and his wife have agreed to let you stay on Sodor as well. Once again, have a simply marvellous ti__me, all of you – you deserve it!_'

'Well, your Aunt Fanny sounds a very generous lady indeed to me,' said Edward. 'So I think we all ought to thank her for letting you lot stay.'

'Aunt Fanny's a darling,' said Julian. 'Uncle Quentin may have an awful temper, but deep down his bark is worse than his bite. He showed us that when he let George keep Tim.'

'Well, I think we ought to write back to your aunt and uncle, thanking them for letting you stay, and telling them that all is well,' said the Fat Controller. 'But not right now – Seb and I will be doing that later today, but I won't be sending it off until I have your consent, Julian. But now I think a celebration visit to, and picnic on, the Skarloey Railway is in order. What do you say, children?'

'OH, YES!' yelled the eleven children with one voice.

'Hooray!' cheered the branch line engines. 'They can stay!'

And as one, all fourteen engines burst into raucous song! 'For they are jolly good fellows! For they are jolly good fellows! For they are jolly good fellows...! And so say all of us – and so say all of us! For they are jolly good fellows! For they are jolly good fellows! For they are jolly good fellows...! That nobody can deny!' This was followed by a positive ensemble of whistling!

When this had died away, the Fat Controller turned to Gordon. 'I believe your Express is leaving for Crovan's Gate and the Other Railway any time soon. Perhaps you'd like to take these children with you in your coaches?'

'Rather!' exclaimed Gordon. 'Now, Thomas and Percy, make yourselves useful and fetch my coaches like good little engines...'

In a few minutes, the Express was ready and waiting at the main platform, with Gordon at its head, stately as a railway king! The children were ready to board the train, and the other engines were watching them from various sidings.

'What an adventure this has been!' said Anne. 'But I don't think there's going to be anything like this happening again while we're on Sodor.'

'Don't be so sure, Anne,' said Thomas. 'I mean, what's life without a little risk? Besides, there's plenty of fun to be had on Sodor – I should know!'

'Hear, hear!' said Dick. 'Thanks most awfully for being so helpful and brave towards us, Thomas! We couldn't have taken Belvedere on without you and your friends!'

'Nothing to it, Dick!' said Thomas happily. 'After all, what are friends for?'

'Woof!' said Tim eagerly, and thumped his tail.

'He's saying he couldn't agree with you more!' said George, beaming at all the engines. 'Oh, you're all so very good to us! I believe you're all the best engine friends us children could ever have!'

'Thank you, George,' said Edward. 'Now go and enjoy yourselves, all of you. Say hallo to the Skarloey engines from us! And try not to get into any more of your adventures while you're here!'

'Climb aboard, then, children,' said Gordon. 'And keep that Timmy on a tight lead, George. We don't want anyone else trying to get the better of him!'

The children scrambled on board, followed by Seb and Sam, who were coming with them. Once they were in a compartment, they leaned out of the window to wave at the engines. When the engines saw this, they all cheered Seb, Sam, Tim and all eleven children to the echo! As Gordon whistled and puffed proudly out of the station, Donald and Douglas struck up a chorus of that old Scottish favourite 'Auld Lang Syne', with even the Fat Controller and the Inspector joining in! The children leaned out of the window and waved at the engines until the train rounded the corner and hid them from view.

'What an adventure this has been!' said Julian as they took their seats and pulled the window closed. 'I don't know why or how, but we do manage to get caught up in most exciting adventures! And somehow they all end in much the same way as this one has!'

You're right there, Julian! Perhaps you might have yet more glorious adventures someday in the future. But for now, we bid you farewell and very much hope that you enjoy the rest of your stay on the Island of Sodor.

Perhaps, just as the Express is about to pass out of sight, we may take one last quick glance into their compartment. Yes, there they all are! Charlie and Justin have just started playing cards, and Alex has challenged David to a game of chess. Polly and Lily are watching with Seb and Sam, while Anne, George, Dick, Julian, Jo and Timmy are simply gazing out of the window at the rolling scenery and thinking what a wonderful place Sodor is with so many amazing engines living and working there!

Well, goodbye to all of you! Goodbye, David, Polly, Alex, Lily, Justin and Charlie! Goodbye, Seb and Sam, the bravest grown-ups the Five have ever met! Goodbye, Julian and Dick! Goodbye, George and Anne! Goodbye, Jo, the best friend the Famous Five could wish for! And last, but most certainly _not_ least, goodbye, dear old Timmy, the best dog in the world!

We very much enjoyed being part of your Sudrian adventure! We can only hope that one day we'll see you all again! Have fun, and best wishes!

THE END


End file.
